Employee Assistance Program

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Injury Management

Workers' Compensation

The Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981 makes provision for the rehabilitation of injured employees, to return them to the fullest capacity for gainful employment.

The Injury Management and Workers' Compensation Policy outlines the Department's commitment to the rehabilitation of injured employees and details the procedures for managers to follow if an employee sustains an injury or illness at the workplace. The policy also covers:

Procedure for return to work

The principal or line manager (or someone he or she nominates) is encouraged to contact the injured employee within 24 hours of them being absent from work, to provide assistance and support.

The Department's Injury Management Consultant or Workers' Compensation Officer will contact an employee who is absent from work for more than three days, once the employee's workers' compensation claims forms are received. The Injury Management Consultant or Workers' Compensation Officer will inform the injured employee of the return to work process and assess their rehabilitation needs and refer to an external rehabilitation provider or other services if required. The Line Manager in consultation with the Employee Support Bureau or provider will develop a return to work program for the injured employee, based on the recommendations of his or her medical practitioner. If necessary a case team meeting will be held with the injured employee, medical practitioner, principal or line manager and the rehabilitation provider. The employee has an obligation to participate in a rehabilitation program if he or she is fit to do so and is receiving workers' compensation payments.

The initial rehabilitation goal will be to return the injured or ill employee to the position that he or she occupied at the time of his or her injury. If the employee cannot return to this position due to his or her injury, the Injury Management Consultant or Workers' Compensation Officer in conjunction with the rehabilitation provider will establish a new rehabilitation goal following the return to work hierarchy.

Return to work programs

When required, modifications will be made to an injured employee's duties or workplace to assist him or her to return to work. These modifications may include:

If an employee undertakes alternative duties when he or she returns to work this should not be taken to mean that he or she is being retrained.

Supernumerary Placement

An employee will return to work supernumerary when he or she is unable to undertake the majority of his or her original duties. A full-time relief person will work in the injured employee's position while the injured employee undertakes duties compatible with his or her medical condition.

For further information on the payment of relief employees see Frequently Asked Questions.

Please contact the Employee Support Bureau if you have a question regarding the return to work process.

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