What's in this template?
This Return to Work and Injury Management Procedure gives Australian healthcare practices a complete procedure aligned to state workers compensation legislation in every Australian jurisdiction. It supports the practice's obligations to support an injured worker's recovery and timely return to work after a work-related injury or illness.
The procedure covers 15 sections plus a sign-off block:
- Purpose
- Scope — including psychological injuries and journey claims
- State legislative framework — NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, ACT, NT
- Roles and responsibilities — RTW Coordinator, PCBU, manager, worker
- Step 1 — Injury reporting and immediate response
- Step 2 — Insurer notification and claim lodgement (within 48 hours)
- Step 3 — Return to Work Plan (within 5 working days)
- Step 4 — Monitoring and progression — fortnightly reviews
- Step 5 — Closing the claim
- Special situations — psychological injury, pre-existing aggravation, non-engagement, long-tail
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Workers compensation register
- Premium and incentive — experience rating and subsidies
- Related documents
- Approval and review
Editable placeholder fields
{{practice_name}},{{abn}},{{state}}{{wc_insurer}},{{wc_claim_line}}— state insurer details{{rtw_coordinator}},{{rtw_coordinator_phone}},{{rtw_coordinator_email}}- Workers compensation register fields and signature blocks
Who needs a Return to Work Procedure?
Every Australian healthcare practice with workers covered by workers compensation insurance — and every state has compulsory cover with very limited exemptions. The procedure is suitable for:
- General practices, day procedure clinics and specialist medical practices
- Allied health practices of any size
- NDIS providers — high exposure to manual handling, psychosocial and aggression injuries
- Aged care providers, home care and community nursing services
- Pharmacies, pathology and diagnostic imaging providers
- Multi-site practice groups that need a consistent procedure across sites
In NSW, any employer with a basic tariff premium above $50,000 must have a SIRA-trained Return to Work Coordinator. Even where not strictly required by legislation, a nominated coordinator is best practice and is increasingly expected by accreditors.
State legislative framework
| Jurisdiction | Primary legislation | Insurer / Authority | |---|---|---| | NSW | Workers Compensation Act 1987 + Workplace Injury Management Act 1998 | icare (most employers); SIRA regulator | | VIC | Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 | WorkSafe Victoria via authorised agent | | QLD | Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 | WorkCover Queensland | | SA | Return to Work Act 2014 | ReturnToWorkSA | | WA | Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 | Private insurer; WorkCover WA regulator | | TAS | Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 | Private insurer; WorkSafe Tasmania regulator | | ACT | Workers Compensation Act 1951 | Private insurer; WorkSafe ACT regulator | | NT | Return to Work Act 1986 | Private insurer; NT WorkSafe regulator |
The procedure is structured so the same five-step process applies in every state — only the timeframes, insurer name and certain entitlements vary. State-specific annotations are flagged in italics.
Why structured RTW matters
Australian healthcare and social assistance has the highest workers compensation claim rate of any industry. The two largest claim types are:
- Musculoskeletal injuries (manual handling, patient transfer, prolonged sitting) — see Manual Handling Policy
- Psychological injuries (high demand, traumatic content, occupational violence, bullying) — see Psychosocial Hazards Policy
Without a structured procedure, claims drift, costs escalate, premiums rise and workers do not return durably. With a structured procedure:
- Workers get back to safe, suitable work faster
- Claim costs drop — direct insurer cost and indirect HR cost
- Premium reduces in subsequent years (most schemes are experience-rated)
- The practice meets state legal duties around suitable employment and consultation
- Lessons feed back into the Hazard and Risk Register, preventing recurrence
How to customise this template
- Download the Word document and replace every
{{placeholder}}with your details - Confirm your state — update the state-specific cover page and review section 3
- Nominate a Return to Work Coordinator — confirm whether NSW SIRA-recognised qualification is required
- Confirm your insurer and obtain the claim lodgement form, employer kit and the insurer's preferred RTW plan template if any
- Update the workers compensation register with each existing open claim
- Train managers on identifying and offering suitable duties — this is where most claims succeed or fail
- Display the insurer claim line and RTW Coordinator name in the staff room
- Review annually and after every claim closure or change in state law
Related templates and tools
The procedure sits at the recovery end of the WHS pipeline:
- Hazard and Risk Register — feeds back into the register after every claim
- Incident and Hazard Report Form — kicks off a claim when an injury is reported
- Manual Handling Policy — most common driver of physical injury claims
- Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Wellbeing Policy — drives psychological injury claims
- Workplace Bullying and Harassment Policy — bullying claims often become workers comp claims
- Privacy Policy and Privacy Management Plan — protects worker injury information
- WHS Induction Checklist — new workers learn how to report injuries
For the high-level policy, see the Work Health and Safety Policy in the RACGP library.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Return to Work procedure mandatory?
In every state, the workers compensation legislation imposes a duty on the employer to support an injured worker's return to work. In NSW, any employer with a basic tariff premium above $50,000 must have a SIRA-trained RTW Coordinator and a written RTW program. In other states, a documented procedure is the standard way of evidencing the duty even where not strictly mandated.
Does this procedure apply to small healthcare practices?
Yes. Every employer with even one worker is covered by workers compensation. The procedure scales — for a small practice the RTW Coordinator role is usually held by the practice manager.
Are journey claims (commuting injuries) covered?
It depends on your state. NSW covers journey claims only where there is a real and substantial connection to work; QLD covers most commuting injuries; SA, WA and others vary. Confirm with your insurer. The procedure handles either treatment.
How quickly do we need to notify the insurer?
Most states require notification within 48 hours of the injury being reported. Some prescribed serious injuries require immediate notification. The procedure builds in 48 hours as the default — confirm with your state insurer.
What are "suitable duties"?
Tasks the worker can perform within their medical restrictions, that are meaningful, productive and within the scope of the practice's needs. Make-work or punishment duties are not appropriate and may breach state workers compensation obligations. The procedure lists healthcare-specific examples — recall calls, reception cover, audit work, recall list cleanup, education resource development.
What if the worker refuses to engage with RTW?
Document attempts to consult and offer suitable duties. Refer to the insurer — most insurers can mediate or commission an Independent Medical Examination. Continue to offer suitable employment in line with state law. In NSW, failure to offer suitable employment can affect the employer's premium.
How does this differ from sick leave?
Sick leave applies to non-work-related illness or injury. Workers compensation applies to work-related injury or illness. This procedure deals with workers compensation claims. A worker on workers comp is on weekly compensation paid by the insurer (with employer top-up in some states), not sick leave from their entitlement.
How long do we keep the records?
State workers compensation legislation typically requires records to be kept for 5 to 7 years from the closure of the claim. Many practices keep records for 7 years to align with Privacy Act, accreditation and broader employment record retention rules.
Will accreditors accept this template?
Yes. RACGP 5th Edition Criterion C3.5 (work health and safety) requires injury management as part of the WHS system. NDIS Practice Standards Core Module 1 (HR management) and ISO 45001 (clause 8.2 emergency preparedness, including injury response) cover the same territory. The procedure's five-step structure maps cleanly to all three frameworks.