Supporting the mental health of workers with physical injuries

When a worker is ill or injured, one of the ways you can have the biggest impact on their recovery and claim is by reaching out early to show your care and support.

As an employer, whether your worker has a physical or a mental injury or illness, it's your role to support them.

Making contact early is important, because it usually results in them getting back to work sooner.

That’s great news for them, and your business.

Staying connected also helps you stay informed on how you can assist your worker in their recovery and return to work, when the time’s right.

In this video we’ll explain why early contact is important, what to focus on, and give you some tips on how to do it.

If you’re short on time, here are your key takeaways:

• Reaching out can feel difficult  , but it’s too valuable to put it off.
• Think about who should contact your worker – usually it’s someone they know and trust, like their supervisor or your workplace return to work coordinator.
• Keep it simple, be empathetic, and ask your worker what support they need.
• And lastly, make sure you schedule in ongoing time to stay in touch during your worker’s recovery, and as they get back to work, to reduce uncertainty.

When you first find out your worker is making a claim for a workplace injury, how you choose to react and respond can make a world of difference.

Research shows that workers who feel their employer responded positively and supported them through the process were far more likely to be back at work sooner.

They were also up to five times more likely to be back at work by the time their claim closed.

Is it okay to reach out to a worker during the claim decision process?

The answer is yes and contact during this time can be key to helping your worker recover sooner.

Even if you dispute the circumstances around the claim, it’s important to let your worker know you still value them as a person, and care about their recovery.  Workers want to know that their contributions are still valued.

Making contact early doesn’t need to be difficult.

First, decide who should contact your worker. Typically, this is your worker’s supervisor, or your workplace return to work coordinator.

The best person to reach out is someone your worker knows and trusts, and who  can show genuine empathy and concern. Make sure that person feels prepared for the conversation.

Timing matters too. Workers who are contacted in the first few days after their injury or illness are twice as likely to be back at work longer term, compared with workers whose employers contacted them after two weeks.

So, don’t put off making contact.

Reaching out is as simple as asking how they’re doing and if they need any support .

Actively listen to their responses to show you care. This means not interrupting and taking note of what they need.

Sometimes there is stigma about making a claim, and you or your worker might not feel comfortable talking about their injury or illness.

To avoid making the worker feel like their claim is under question, let them guide the conversation and don’t focus on what led to the injury or illness – that can come later.

A simple ‘how are you feeling? What can I do to help?’ is usually all you need to say the first time you reach out.

Once you’ve made contact, make a plan with your worker for how and when you’ll stay in touch.

Ask your worker how they’d like you to check in and how often – this could be by phone call, text message, or even email.

This will be different for every person. You should continue checking in with your worker, even if they’re back at work, to see how they’re recovering.

If you do notice your worker’s not coping well, and they have an accepted claim for a physical injury or illness, WorkCover can pay for sessions with a counsellor or psychologist to support their mental health during their recovery.

This can help prevent things becoming worse later on with their physical or mental health and provide tools to help them cope better.

You can find out more by searching for ‘Adjustment to injury counselling’ on our website, or by speaking to your claims contact.

Their details can be found in WorkCover Connect, our online services portal, or call 1300 362 128.

If you need help in your language call 1800 512 451 and ask for an interpreter.

When someone is injured at work, a supportive workplace starts by reaching out to them straight away with care and concern .

This simple act can help with your worker’s recovery and getting back on the job sooner.

Here are some top tips to help make that initial contact count.

First though, when an injury or illness happens at work, there are steps you need to take as an employer, including reporting the injury to WorkCover.

Search ‘If an injury or illness occurs’ on our website to find our guide.

When you contact a worker, make sure the person reaching out is someone your worker knows and trusts, usually their supervisor.

Express genuine empathy. A simple ‘I’m sorry to hear about your injury, how are you doing?’ sets a supportive tone.

Avoid talking about work or deadlines straight away, and don’t bring up what caused the injury or who’s to blame. Focus on their wellbeing first and just offer your support.

Be flexible with different ways your worker might like to stay in touch. Schedule ongoing check-ins to see how they’re doing and ask if they prefer a phone call, a text, or a quick video chat. Adjust your support over time as needed.

Let your worker know about any support services your workplace provides, like counselling or Employee Assistance Programs.

If you notice your worker is struggling, there are many supports available, even if their injury is physical.

Find a list of support services by searching “mental injury” on our website.

Encourage open communication. Let your worker know they can reach out to you any time they have concerns or need support.

When you’re talking to the team about a colleague who’s ill or injured, keep these tips in mind:

Ask your worker how much they’re comfortable with you sharing with their colleagues. Respect their privacy and avoid speculating about the injury or the claim.

Reassure the team their colleague is getting support and that everyone’s focus is on their recovery.

Getting back to work can sometimes feel hard for a worker. They may feel additional stigma if it’s a mental health related injury or if they have a WorkCover claim.

Remind the team to be supportive and make sure they’re aware of any steps you’ve taken to reduce the impact of their colleague’s absence.

If you can, keep the team updated with timing for when your worker is due back at work, and if they’ll be doing suitable duties  at the start.

By staying connected and offering your support, you’ll go a long way in helping your worker’s recovery.

For more resources, visit our website or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Did you know a physical injury or illness can lead to a mental injury as well?

This can happen over time and is sometimes called a secondary mental injury.

It might be because the person is struggling to cope or adapt to life with a physical injury. Or, their physical injury might have been caused by a traumatic or distressing event, like an assault.

They could be worried about what the future holds, and how their physical injury will impact their life.

They might feel anxious or uncertain about going back to work, or what people might think when they return.

That’s why, as an employer, you play a key role when your worker is injured or becomes ill at work.

Workers who feel unsupported by their employer during their claim are more likely to be off work for longer.

They are also at greater risk of experiencing mental health issues in connection to their injury.

When a worker is ill or injured, one of the ways you can have the biggest impact on their recovery and claim is by reaching out early to show your care and support.

Staying connected also helps you stay informed on how you can assist your worker in their recovery and return to work, when the time’s right.

For more tips and resources on getting in touch early with your worker, watch our other video.

Finding jobs or tasks your worker can do while they’re recovering is a great way to support them as they settle back into work. It’s good for your business too.

Offering meaningful lighter work, also called suitable duties, shows your worker you care about their recovery.

Find out more about identifying suitable duties for a worker with a physical injury in our other video.

There can sometimes be stigma about making a claim.

This can make it tough for workers when they do come back to work.

You can help by showing genuine support and understanding.

Foster a workplace culture where everyone feels valued, and where workers can speak freely about safety and wellbeing.

If you do notice your worker’s not coping well, and they have an accepted claim for a physical injury or illness, WorkCover can pay for sessions with a counsellor or psychologist to support their mental health during their recovery.

This can help prevent things becoming worse later on with their physical or mental health and provide tools to help them cope better.

You can find out more by searching for ‘Adjustment to injury counselling’ on our website, or by speaking to your claims contact.

You can find other mental health supports available to Queensland workers on our website.

If your worker does develop a mental injury in connection to their physical injury, it’s important to remember that many people can and do recover fully. Getting the right support early can really help.

If there’s something you’re not sure about, you can give us a call. We’re here to help.

If you need help in your language call 1800 512 451 and ask for an interpreter.

For more resources, visit our website or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Supporting your worker to get back to work after an injury or illness is an important part of their recovery.

It can help them to get better sooner, keeps them connected to the workplace and boosts morale.

Tasks your worker can do while they’re recovering are called ‘suitable duties’.

Here are our top three tips for finding suitable duties for a worker recovering from a mental injury.

Tip one: focus on what your worker can do, not what they can’t do.

By focusing on your worker and their strengths and abilities, you’ll help everyone stay positive.

Tip two is to be flexible

Being flexible with your worker as they recover helps them to build up their confidence.

This might look like offering reduced hours, modifying tasks, or providing a different workplace setting like remote work.

Tip three: prioritise open communication

Talk with your worker regularly and listen to their needs and concerns. This shows you care and helps with making any adjustments needed along the way.

Next up, how do you find duties that are the right fit for your worker and their injury?

You could start by asking your worker what work they think they could safely do as they recover, in line with their doctor’s advice.

This is a good way to collaborate and build trust.

You can also look at any restrictions on their work capacity certificate together, to help you decide.

Speak to WorkCover if you’re unsure.

We can share guidance from a worker’s doctor or specialist if it directly relates to helping a worker get back to work.

The next step is to identify duties for your worker, based on medical advice and what they can do.

Here’s some ideas to start:

• Talk to other business areas or look at different job descriptions in your workplace to find tasks outside of your worker’s usual role.
• Can you reduce the complexity, or pace of work?
• What technology or tools might help them with their work?

The next step is to have a clear return to work plan in place that  outlines what work they’ll be doing, timelines and any support measures.

It’s important everyone agrees on the plan before starting.

This helps your worker know what to expect and shows them their recovery is taken seriously.

You’ll also know when things aren’t going as planned, so you can make adjustments.

There’s a lot of stigma attached to making a WorkCover claim. This can make it tough for workers when they do come back to work.

You can help by showing genuine support and understanding.

Foster a workplace culture where everyone feels valued, and where workers can speak freely about safety and wellbeing.

If you do notice your worker’s not coping well, and they have an accepted claim for a physical injury or illness, WorkCover can pay for sessions with a counsellor or psychologist to support their mental health during their recovery.

This can help prevent things becoming worse later on with their physical or mental health and provide tools to help them cope better.

You can find out more by searching for ‘Adjustment to injury counselling’ on our website, or by speaking to your claims contact.

You can find other mental health supports available to Queensland workers on our website.

If there’s something you’re not sure about, you can give us a call. We’re here to help.

If you need help in your language call 1800 512 451 and ask for an interpreter.

For more resources, visit our website or subscribe to our YouTube channel.