Injured workers are being hung out to dry as support systems fail

Support for injured workers is a necessity across all industries. However, the process of getting workers’ compensation can be slow and gruelling and have a damaging effect on one’s recovery time.

Every year in Queensland, 90,000 workers suffer some form of an injury on their job site and are forced out of work for a duration. These employees often rely on workers’ compensation as their first step towards recovery and support. This process can be extremely slow, dragging on for the worker and often delaying their recovery.

A new introduction to Parliament could change this, with the Queensland Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. This amendment to workplace law could be the catalyst for speeding up this historically slow process. If passed, this legislation will ensure the insurer makes a basic weekly payment to the injured worker within one week of the acceptance of the claim.

This payment will occur even if the employer has not provided sufficient information for the insurer to determine the actual weekly benefit amount, which is often the key detriment or the process slowing down for the worker to get their compensation.

Greg Spinda from Travis Schultz & Partners (TSP) emphasised the importance of employer engagement and communication throughout the workers’ compensation process.

“Too many employers fail to check in with injured workers after an injury or a WorkCover claim, which can contribute to mental health issues and prolonged recovery times. For those who take time off work following an injury, secondary stress and other mental conditions are leading causes of an increased number of days off,” Spinda said.

“Unfortunately, Queensland employers have fared well below the national average of employer response to injury, willingness to support injured workers, and to treat workers fairly. Making a claim is a necessary choice most people would prefer not to make.”

Spinda went on to explain the importance of insurers being able to enforce the obligation on employers to provide accurate information in a timely fashion. This is critical to the workers’ compensation payments commencing and to support the worker suffering from the injury, thus kickstarting their pathway to recovery.

“The minimum payment being proposed in this bill will help alleviate some financial stress for injured workers whilst their actual payments are calculated. Injured workers struggle financially to meet household expenses – going on workers’ compensation is not a luxury or a cash cow. Even a small amount would have reduced the financial hole and stress [injured workers find themselves in],” he said.

“In the end, the delays equate to higher costs for everyone involved – for employers losing workers, our healthcare system, charities and our community – when workers’ compensation should have picked up the burden instead.”

The proposed legislation has long been called for across industries to ensure that injured workers can punctually access that safety net in which workers’ compensations acts as. The bill takes that laziness factor from the employer out of the equation, although these employers still should be responding to these injuries ASAP.

“The payment will be made while the employer supplies wage details – which they will be required to provide within five business days of request. The basic payment will be a set amount (very low), but [it] is better than nothing,” Spinda said.

The rest of the country could take note of the potential of this legislation in alleviating the stress involved in workers’ compensation claims.