Workers’ compensation provides a safety net for workers injured in the course of their employment, and employers play a crucial role in supporting injured workers return to work or stay at work while they recover.
Employers are obliged to appoint a Return to Work (RTW) Coordinator as per the relevant state legislative requirements to support both the employer and injured workers. The role of RTW Coordinators is vital to achieving positive outcomes for injured employees and includes:
- implementing an organisation's return to work program/information
- preparing recovery and return to work plans
- coordinating with medical specialists
- checking on the worker's recovery and their ability to return to work
- monitoring the safety of job tasks when an injured employee returns to work
- explaining the rights and obligations of injured workers to both the worker and employer.
We have a range of training, tools, coaching and a new collection of resources designed to support the important role that RTW Coordinators play in helping workers recover from injury and get back to work sooner.
SUPPORTING RTW COORDINATORS
Training
EML offers a wide range of face-to-face and virtual training through our employer event program which are free for EML customers.
We have also recently released the following online courses through EMlearning which coordinators may find helpful:
- Workers Compensation Essentials - available for SA, VIC and NSW
- Weekly Benefits and Income Support Payments - available for SA, VIC and NSW
- Return to Work Coordination 3-part series featuring 1. Creating the Right Culture, 2. NSW Legislation, 3. The Return to Work Process.
Videos
Managing workers insurance and personal injury claims can be challenging, so we’ve developed four helpful videos to assist in understanding your role in implementing your organisation’s return to work plan and supporting a worker’s recovery and return to work.
Identifying Suitable Duties in the Workplace
If your worker is unable to resume their full duties, your role as the employer is to provide suitable duties and to assist them to return to work.
Providing suitable duties is an effective way to support your worker with their recovery and rehabilitation as it keeps them active and engaged with the workplace. It also minimizes time off from work and can help protect your business against rising insurance premiums.
How to complete a Return to Work Plan
Offering suitable duties is an effective way to aid a worker's recovery and rehabilitation, by keeping them active and involved in the workplace. This approach reduces their time away from work, helps maintain business productivity, and can help protect your business from increasing insurance premiums. Once suitable duties have been identified in consultation with the key stakeholders, it is important to document these in a return to work plan to ensure a safe, timely and sustainable return for the injured worker.
How to Support an Injured Worker for Improved Outcomes
Prolonged absence from work can lead to poor physical and mental health outcomes for the injured worker. It can also impact your business with loss of productivity, lowered morale and potential increases to your workers compensation premium. Therefore, the sooner an injured worker can safely return to work, the better the outcomes will be for all.
Common Return to Work Barriers
In most instances, a worker’s return to the workplace following an injury will be smooth and seamless. However, there may be occasions when return to work is delayed. This may be due to barriers from the worker, treatment provider or even the employer. There may even be concurrent barriers from multiple stakeholders. These barriers may be challenges or obstacles that can affect the worker’s recovery and ability to return to work.
Coaching
Through our EML Offers, our customers can access exceptional deals on coaching from NthDegree that provides Return to Work Coordinators with a dedicated coach who will provide them with individualised training, support and advice in injury management and return to work related topics.
Weekly benefits/income support factsheets
Access our range of colourful and easy to read collection of factsheets which have been designed to support employers in NSW, VIC and SA. They also include a helpful list of common definitions and notes to help clarify common industry terms.
Return to Work Planning Templates
VIC: WorkSafe VIC
Return To Work Arrangements (includes proposed suitable or pre-injury employment)
NSW: State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA)
Recover at work plan – a tool for employers
SA: RTWSA
Recovery and return to work plan
Safe Work Australia
Return to work plan
More information
Through the Mutual Benefits Program we deliver a range of training, tools and resources to support our customers achieve their RTW goals for their injured workers. If you have a suggestion for a resource that would be of assistance, please email mutualbenefits@eml.com.au
For more information on the important role of RTW Coordinators visit Return to Work SA, SIRA or WorkSafe Victoria.