When a person is injured on the job, and the injury impacts the way that they would ordinarily carry out their job, the worker might be given the choice to return to work with different duties rather than recovering at home.
Where an employee is not able to return to their previous position, their employer may be able to arrange for the employee to do alternative duties in the workplace which don’t aggravate the injury. This is known as a ‘suitable duties arrangement’ and is often facilitated by WorkCover as you go through the claims process with them.
In the unfortunate circumstances that the injured worker is not able to carry out any job in their usual workplace, WorkCover may be able to provide a Recover at Work (RAW) placement with a ‘host employer’ who has agreed to have an injured worker in their workplace. WorkCover will always take into account your experience and skills in putting you into a ‘host employer’ situation so there is no need to stress that you will be in a role you aren’t capable of doing.
If either a ‘suitable duties arrangement’ or a ‘host employer’ arrangement are offered to you, and you are physically able to undertake them, strongly consider accepting the offer as evidence shows that such arrangements are of great benefit to injured workers.
Continuing to work can have a significant impact on the recovery of an injured worker. Conversely, being off work for an extended period of time can have an impact on whether the worker will ever return to work or not. Research highlights that work plays an important role in the rehabilitation process because ‘doing’ promotes recovery. Recovering at work also helps injured workers to stay mentally positive about their situation, which is of great importance when you are going through a challenging time.
Our WorkCover Lawyers can assist you through the process…
If you have been injured at work, and require guidance through the process, feel you are not being treated fairly or you don’t want to deal with the stress of a personal injury claim on your own then contact one of our Queensland WorkCover Lawyers for help. Your can reach our WorkCover Lawyers by phoning (07) 3252 0011, or through our general enquiries page.
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