New return to work guides for workers and employers

WORKSafe Victoria has released new guidance to assist employers and
injured workers with the return to work process.

The new publications will help employers and injured workers
understand their obligations and the steps needed to get workers
back to safe and sustainable work.

Under the Accident Compensation Act 1985, injured workers and
employers have obligations.

In particular, employers must provide suitable employment where an
injured worker has some capacity for work, and it is critical that
they regularly communicate with the injured worker and their doctor
throughout the rehabilitation and return to work process.

Similarly, injured workers must make every reasonable effort to return
to work in suitable employment and participate in assessments to
determine their capacity for work, rehabilitation progress, and
future employment prospects.

The Director of WorkSafe’s Return to Work Division, Michelle Zorbas,
said that with the number of workers compensation claims averaging
about 30,000 per year, returning injured workers back to work has to
be a priority.

“Helping them return to work in a safe and sustainable way not
only assists in the early recovery and rehabilitation of the worker,
it reduces productivity losses and minimises the impact on an
employer’s workplace injury insurance costs.

“Both the employer and injured worker play a vital part in this
process , which we know can sometimes be difficult.

“This is why the new guidance material was developed - to help
employers and injured workers understand what they need to do and
where to get further help if needed.”

The new guidance includes:
Returning to Work: A Guide for Injured Workers.
Suitable Employment for Injured Workers: A step by step guide.
Return to Work Plan and Offer of Suitable Employment forms.
Return to Work Inspectors fact sheet.

Manufacturers Monthly - Australia's leading manufacturing
news website. 22-Jul-2008.

WCV's: I wonder how much these publications cost to be developed?

More money wasted on useless publications which is not supporting
Injured workers in anyway!

WCV's conducted a poll recently on the issue of return to work policies and
we have found that 100% of the voters said that they were not offered a
return to work!

So to be fair to worksafe we here at WVC's are asking worksafe to supply
their statistic's on RTW's of how many of those claimants were returned to
their usual employment using the above quoted claim numbers of 30,000
claimants per year?