Work trial program
The work trial program is a voluntary short-term work arrangement that provides you with suitable work.
COVID-19 update: This program can be used to assist workers maintain their capacity for work if their pre-injury employer has had to scale back/close down due to the impact of COVID-19
When your pre-injury employer is unable to provide suitable work, a work trial places you (the trainee) with a new employer (host employer) for a short-term work arrangement of up to 12 weeks.
As a trainee you can keep active and:
- improve your capacity to return to your pre-injury job, or
- develop skills, knowledge, and experience in order to obtain a new job
- demonstrate your ability to a potential employer.
You don’t receive payment from your host employer during the work trial but you continue to receive weekly payments from the insurer.
The insurer or SIRA will pay for travel to and from the workplace as well as essential equipment to perform your work trial duties.
Read the work trial guidance material for more information.
Also read:
- Work trial program information for workers
- Work trial program information for potential host employers
Eligibility
You are eligible if you:
- are receiving or entitled to receive weekly workers compensation payments
- have capacity to work but your employer can’t provide suitable duties
- haven’t accepted a commutation or work injury damages settlement.
Employers are eligible if they:
- don’t have a workers compensation liability to you
- have no current employer/employee relationship with you
- hold a current workers compensation policy or self-insurer licence
- are not attached to your pre-injury employer by way of an insurance policy or insurance licence.
How to apply
Speak to your workplace rehabilitation provider or other members of your support team about using the work trial program if you can’t return to your job.
They will:
- help you find a work trial host employers and conduct a workplace assessment to match your capacity to the requirements of the job.
- arrange completion of the vocational program details form and the work trial agreement (so you can start the program)
- organise insurer approval
- organise payment for program costs using the vocational claim for payment form
- complete the vocational program closure report form (to record the outcome of the trial)
They should also use the work trial check list.
If your request to use a SIRA-funded program has not been approved, find out how to request a review of a program decision.
Further information
- Have you been injured at work? app
- Work trial guidelines
- Work trial program information for workers
- Work trial program information for potential host employers
- Vocational program details form
- Work trial agreement
- Work trial checklist
- Vocational program details form
- Vocational claim for payment form
- Vocational program closure report form