Who can help me recover at work?

Your insurer will assign a case manager to coordinate your claim. They are your main point of contact for payment enquiries and medical treatment and expenses.

The insurer case manager:

• is in regular contact with you, your doctor, treatment providers and your employer
• authorises and arranges payment for medical and related expenses and vocational programs (where appropriate)
• determines your entitlement to weekly compensation payments
• helps your employer to support your recovery at work
• arranges assessments or services to help determine your capacity / fitness for work
• is available throughout your claim to discuss your needs, barriers or issues that may impact on your recovery.

Further information

• Workers compensation claims
• Certificate of capacity
• Have you been injured? app

Your doctor’s role is to support and optimise your recovery.

You choose your treating doctor. It might be your GP or it might be a specialist.

Your doctor will:

• assess, diagnose, and treat your injury
• advise on medical treatment
• advise you on your capacity for work (and fill out the Certificate of Capacity)
• help you and your employer (and other members of your support team) with your recovery at work.

Further information

• Certificate of Capacity/Certificate of Fitness
• Doctors and other medical professionals
• Preparing for my specialist appointment

Your employer may have a return to work coordinator. If so, this person is one of the people you will have the most contact with.

Return to work coordinators:

• will work with you and your supervisor
• help coordinate your recovery at work
• are a key link between you and the rest of your support team
• are your main contacts regarding your recovery at work progress and any issues you have at work
• can organise workplace modifications or equipment to help you recover.

If your employer does not have a return to work coordinator there should be someone else who is responsible for recovery at work at your workplace.

It's your employer's responsibility to know if they are required to have a return to work coordinator.

Further information

• Return to work coordinators

If your injury / illness is work related, your employer must help you find work in the workplace, which must be suitable and in line with your current capacity for work.

This does not necessarily mean doing the same work you did before – you may have capacity to do something different.

In the workers compensation system, your employer should:

• identify suitable work options
• develop a recover at work plan  tailored to your recovery
• talk to your doctor about your recover at work plan and discuss your needs, barriers or risks to recovery, and your progress
• talk to the insurer about your injury management plan, your Certificate of Capacity, and any equipment or changes to the workplace you may require.

Where your employer needs assistance, they can call in a workplace rehabilitation provider.

You and your employer can develop a recovery at work plan tailored to your needs to ensure your recovery at work is successful. Your employer may also be eligible for incentives that can help them support your recovery at work. To find out more speak to the insurer or see the support programs.

Further information

• Role of employer

Workplace rehabilitation providers can assist you to recover at work by designing a plan after consulting with you, your employer, your doctor and the insurer.

They are health professionals like occupational therapists, physiotherapists, rehabilitation counsellors and psychologists.

They can:

• assess your workplace and review your duties
• identify ways to help you recover at work
• advise about work options if you are unable to recover at work with your pre-injury employer
• help maintain/establish a positive working relationship between yourself, employer or employer representative.

You can speak with the insurer to refer you to a workplace rehabilitation provider. Alternatively, you can find a workplace rehabilitation provider here.

Further information

• Rehabilitation providers

We regulate the NSW workers compensation and CTP systems.

Our job is to make sure these systems provide the best possible outcomes while remaining affordable and sustainable in the long term.

Our role includes:

• supervising insurers so they comply with legislation, and understand their obligations to workers and employers
• helping employers understand their roles and obligations within the workers compensation system
• managing and approving some health providers
• assisting to resolve worker complaints relating to their employer or providers (health, workplace rehabilitation provider, etc)
• assisting to resolve queries and concerns relating to the workers compensation system from employers, insurers and other professionals.

We can be contacted through a variety of channels, visit our contact us page.

The Independent Review Officer (IRO) is an independent statutory office with a variety of roles, which include:

• answering workers compensation enquiries from injured workers or their nominated representative
• investigating complaints about the conduct of workers compensation insurers made by an injured worker or their nominated representative
• managing the provision of legal assistance for injured workers
• investigating complaints about the conduct of CTP insurers made by an injured road user or their nominated representative

If you have been unable to resolve your workers compensation or CTP claims complaint with the insurer in the first instance, you can contact IRO to assist with gaining a resolution.

Phone: 13 94 76

Complaints: [email protected]

Website:  www.iro.nsw.gov.au