Early intervention and employee assistance programs
A new checklist to help employers who provide early intervention and employee assistance programs will help ensure they are consistent with Queensland's workers compensation requirements.
Early intervention or employee assistance programs provide workers with access to medical and allied health treatment and support to hopefully reduce the likelihood, severity and impact of injuries.
These programs can include access to preventative treatments or other services to improve general health and well-being, as well as services to support a worker in the early stages of a work-related injury. These services may include medical and allied health services, counselling and other psychological services.
Positive early intervention programs have proven benefits for both workers and employers. They can complement the operation of the workers' compensation scheme in preventing a work-related injury and in providing early treatment while a claim for compensation is being decided.
Under Queensland law, an employer is not able to use these programs to replace or stop a worker accessing workers' compensation. To assist employers, the new checklist helps them self-assess their program to make sure they are operating lawfully.
The checklist also reminds employers of the importance of reporting to their workers' compensation insurer any work-related injuries where a worker may be able to access workers' compensation. Under law, injuries must be reported regardless of whether the worker makes a claim for workers' compensation and even if the employer does not agree the injury is compensable.
Reporting the injury is not the same as making a claim for workers' compensation. To make this distinction clearer, a separate reporting form has been developed.
You can find the forms and more information at: