Planning a worker's return to work
Learn how to plan and support your worker’s return to work through our accredited rehabilitation and return to work program.
Support for when life gets tough
When life gets hard – whether with financial stress, health concerns or personal struggles – there’s help and support available.
Supporting return to work
Recovering and getting back to work after an injury or illness at work requires everyone involved to work together.
We will work with you, your worker, treatment providers and other stakeholders to help your worker to recover and get back to work.
The planning for return to work should start as soon as possible and needs to be in place within 10 business days of claim acceptance.
Supportive leaders can make workers up to five times more likely to return to work sooner and recover better.
You are required by law to support your worker through their rehabilitation and their early, safe return to work.
This is sometimes called early intervention.
Find out more about what you must do to support your workers in their recovery.
Your worker’s role
You and your worker should work together during their recovery.
They need to take an active role in their recovery.
This includes doing the duties their doctor says are safe, even if the tasks are different from their normal job.
They should make appointments outside of working hours if possible.
Our accredited rehabilitation and return to work program
The rehabilitation and return to work program explains how we support workers, and the roles we, workers and employers play in workers’ compensation claims.
The program involves two main plans:
- My Recovery Plan
- Suitable duties plan.
We’ll work with you, your worker and their treatment providers to create these plans.
They show what safe tasks your worker can do while they get better, and what support they need to stay involved at work and return to work as soon as they can.
Learn more about the plans in the sections below.
Watch the video about helping your worker’s return to work
If the injury gets worse or the worker can’t attend work
If your worker was able to do suitable duties before but now can’t, they should see a doctor.
We will talk to the doctor to get advice.
If they take time off work without medical advice to explain why, it usually won’t be covered by their claim.
Concerns about progress or recovery
Recovery is a gradual process for workers as they return to work.
We are guided by medical advice.
You can contact us if you have questions about the process or concerns about your worker’s suitable duties, wellbeing or recovery.
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