Need help to intervene early?

Early intervention is crucial to support better recovery outcomes when a worker is injured. Using an external workplace rehabilitation provider is one way to ensure you’re identifying strengths and barriers for return to work and providing the right support early in a worker’s recovery.

Best practice

Intervene early and provide support to an injured worker from when an injury is reported. This may involve engaging a workplace rehabilitation provider early in a worker’s recovery.

Make early contact with your insurer to understand whether your injured worker would benefit from the expertise of a workplace rehabilitation provider, and to identify the most appropriate type of provider to meet their individual needs. The cost of engaging a workplace rehabilitation provider will be covered by the injured worker’s compensation claim (you will not pay the provider directly).

Keep the injured worker in the driver’s seat and at the centre of their own rehabilitation and return to work. Work openly and with them, your insurer, and their treatment support team.

Why this is important

Workplace rehabilitation helps injured workers recover and return to work efficiently and safely. Early intervention in rehabilitation can help to achieve:

Faster recovery and return to work

Engaging a workplace rehabilitation provider early may help to ensure that injured workers receive the necessary medical attention, support, and modifications to their work environment sooner, reducing time away from work. Early treatment can prevent the development of secondary issues, such as psychological injuries or chronic pain, which can delay recovery.

Workplace rehabilitation providers can assist an insurer to develop and implement a rehabilitation and return to work plan. This may be particularly helpful for complex cases.

Improved worker wellbeing and morale and workplace culture

By acting early, you show you are committed to a worker’s wellbeing and foster a culture of care and safety in the workplace. Workers who feel supported by their employer are more likely to engage with the rehabilitation process and maintain a positive outlook. This approach also reduces the likelihood of psychological issues such as anxiety and depression, which can result from prolonged time away from work. When a worker considers their employer’s response to their injury to be fair and constructive, their return-to-work rate is up to 52 per cent higher.

Better long-term outcomes

Timely rehabilitation helps to address injuries before they become long-term or permanent. A proactive approach reduces the risk of re-injury or being unable to return to their pre-injury roles.

Reduced costs

Playing an active role in the rehabilitation of your workers isn’t just best practice in terms of supporting better recovery outcomes for your worker. It’s also a legal requirement, and makes good business sense (PDF, 1.71 MB) When workers return to safe work sooner, employers can avoid the financial burden of long-term absences and costly claims.

What actions can I take now?

Talk to your insurer about whether your business would benefit from help from a workplace rehabilitation provider. A preferred provider relationship with one or multiple providers may help to ensure consistency and that your provider has a strong understanding of the unique needs of your business and workers.

If you’re insured by WorkCover Queensland, you will need to use an approved provider on the return to work services panel. If your employer is self-insured, contact them directly to discuss your options

Separately, should an employer wish to engage a workplace rehabilitation provider to assist with their safety or return to work systems, they can go to the Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association (ARPA) website for more information. This would be at the employer’s expense and not included as part of the claim.
A workplace rehabilitation provider may be able to help if
- you have an injured worker who has a complex injury, individual needs, or has time off work for more than 28 days
- you feel you don’t have the expertise to support their recovery and return to work planning.

As a leader, you can show you care and foster and promote a positive return to work culture by reducing stigma, prioritising worker wellbeing and providing flexible return to work options, which can also lead to decreased costs.
Empower your injured worker to play the leading role in their own recovery and return to work and ensure they understand the health benefits of good work and why It Pays to Care.
Understand your role and responsibilities in supporting rehabilitation and return to work.
If your business is large and meets certain criteria, you must appoint an appropriately qualified rehabilitation and return to work coordinator. This person will support an injured worker’s return to work journey in the workplace. One option to ensure a rehabilitation and return to work coordinator is appropriately qualified is to complete a training course approved by the Workers’ Compensation Regulator.

Your toolkit

Revisit our past articles about What to expect when working with a workplace rehabilitation provider, It pays to talk and listen and Genuine care and understanding.

Workplace rehabilitation providers support early intervention through:

Expertise: Workplace rehabilitation providers are allied health professionals who are trained and experienced in workplace recovery and rehabilitation. They have specific skills and expertise in workplace injuries and the psychological and physical impacts of injuries, and in tailoring treatment and a rehabilitation and return to work plan to an individual worker’s needs. They can also help build your knowledge and capacity to better support recovery and return to work planning.
Coordination: Workplace rehabilitation providers can coordinate medical care and workplace adjustments, and liaise with all stakeholders including medical professionals, insurers, and employers. This team approach ensures that all aspects of recovery and return to work are individualised and coordinated.
Early identification of barriers: Workplace rehabilitation providers are trained to identify potential barriers to recovery and return to work, whether physical, psychological, or workplace related. By addressing these issues early, they help support and early and safe return to work and reduce risks of long-term absence, or re-injury.
Ongoing support and monitoring: Workplace rehabilitation providers offer continuous support and monitor the progress of the injured worker throughout the rehabilitation process. This ongoing involvement helps ensure that any setbacks are promptly addressed, and that the worker’s progress remains on track.

For free, independent and confidential workers’ compensation information, advice and support, contact the Workers’ Compensation Information and Advisory Service for Employers.

Watch this presentation featuring Julia Bunn, occupational therapist and founding member of ARPA, discussing why early intervention and support is crucial for psychological injuries, and the role of the employer and rehabilitation and return to work coordinator in developing a rehabilitation and return to work plan for a worker with a psychological injury.

Read about why early intervention is key to early return to work, and understand the health benefits of good work.

Refer to the Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022 to return the worker to a psychologically healthy and safe environment.

Check out Return to Work Matters for webinars about how to support return to work.

Read more about your legal obligations and how to meet them in the Guidelines for Standard for Rehabilitation (PDF, 0.6 MB).

Check out our new resource, Guiding the way: responding to mental injury at work.

Acknowledgement: Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association (ARPA), Queensland