Getting in touch early with your worker is key to recovery

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.