Recovery at work insider - Issue 7
Support workers to report an injury early
Why is this important?
A longer time between the date of injury and making a claim is associated with a longer time off work.1
Early reporting allows:
- assessment of the workplace to prevent similar injury to others
- early intervention, treatment and support
- timely provision of suitable work to support recovery.
From the evidence
Workers who are confident making a claim are more likely to report an injury early, get the right support at the right time, and have better return to work outcomes.2
An estimated one third of NSW workers report concerns about being treated differently at work if they made a claim.3
What you can do
- Educate workers about the value of reporting injuries early.
- Establish a clear injury reporting process and make sure all workers know how to report an injury.
- Create a workplace culture that minimises concern about making a claim.
- Educate supervisors and managers about how to respond to signs or reports of injury.
- Analyse injury reporting data to identify any issues or barriers to early reporting.
Resources and tools
- ‘If you get injured at work’ poster (also available in 5 other community languages)
- ‘Register of injuries’ template
Next edition
Our next edition will focus on early and supportive contact following an injury.
Get in touch
- Call 13 10 50
- Email [email protected]
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Previous editions
Missed an issue? Read our recent issues:
- Issue 6: Ensure leaders are engaged and committed to a positive recovery culture
- Issue 5: Leaders are committed to building RTW capability
- Issue 4: Design and implement effective return to work systems
- Issue 3: Promote the health benefits of good work and recovery at work
- Issue 2: Positive workplace culture improves recovery at work outcomes
- Issue 1: Successful recovery at work strategies
References
1 Gray SW, Sheehan LR, Lane TJ, Beck D, Collie A. May 2018. Determining the association between workers compensation claim processing times and duration of compensated time loss. COMPARE project team. Insurance Work and Health Group, Monash University: Melbourne.
2 Sheehan LR, Gray SW, Lane TJ, Beck D, Collie A. 2018. Employer Support for Injured Australian Workers: Overview and association with RTW. COMPARE project team. Insurance Work and Health Group. Monash University: Melbourne. Cited in SafeWork Australia. National RTW Strategy 2020-2030.
3 Safe Work Australia. 2018. National RTW Survey – Summary Report. Canberra.