Increased uptake leads to continuation of SIRA support programs
The State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) recently approved the continuation of three workers compensation support programs for workers, employers, and small business owners. The move follows growing uptake of the programs over the past year.
Recover at Work Assist for small business
Recover at Work Assist for small business provides eligible small businesses with payments of up to $400 a week for 6 weeks.
These payments help small businesses overcome financial difficulty when providing suitable work to a worker recovering from a work-related injury or illness. They help offset the costs of covering a worker’s usual duties while they recover at work.
Since its implementation in July 2019, use of the program has steadily increased.
The existing eligibility criteria for workers and small business remain unchanged.
For more information and to find out if your business is eligible, refer to the program guidance material.
Connect2work
Connect2work was introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It pays host employers $200 a week to provide work placement of 15 hours or more per week to a worker recovering from a work-related injury or illness. The payments aim to offset the costs associate with providing supervision to a worker.
Feedback about the Connect2work program has been positive. It has proved a useful tool for workers to secure placements, improve their capacity for work and gain relevant skills. As such, the program will continue on an ongoing basis.
There are no changes to eligibility criteria. For more information and to find out if your business is eligible, refer to the program guidance material.
JobCover6
The JobCover6 program was also introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program provided financial incentives to employers who offered up to six months employment to a worker recovering from a work-related injury, where that worker was looking for new employment.
JobCover6 will be available on an ongoing basis with the following modification -
An employer may be eligible if they have offered employment to a worker for an agreed period for a minimum of 64 paid hours per month or a return to pre-injury hours. Fewer hours may be considered if it can be demonstrated that the worker will progress to meet this requirement within a reasonable timeframe.
To learn more about JobCover6 and find out if you are eligible, refer to the program guidance material.