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Rehabilitation and Return to Work e-bulletin

Support workers to play an active role in their recovery

Best practice

Support injured workers to play an active and informed role in their own rehabilitation and recovery by:

  • informing them about their rights and responsibilities, as well as the roles and responsibilities of others who’ll be involved
  • assisting them to navigate the workers’ compensation process and ensuring they know where they can access further support
  • helping them to understand the health benefits of good work and why it plays an important role in rehabilitation and general health and well being
  • helping them to understand medical and claim information relating to their injury.

Why this is important

Evidence shows that a worker’s experience of the workers’ compensation process significantly influences their return to work outcomes.[1] By raising awareness about workers’ compensation and rehabilitation processes and building health literacy, you empower workers to play an active and informed role in their own recovery and return to work.

Your toolkit

These strategies and resources may help you achieve best practice.

  • Read our breakdown of rehabilitation roles and responsibilities and share it with your injured worker.
  • Put together an information pack including any information your injured work might need to get back to work. It might include:
    • some information about you as their RTW coordinator, and your contact details
    • a list of who’ll be involved in their return to work, what their role is and what they will do
    • details about how communication will work throughout the process
    • information your worker might need to access leave entitlements, if appropriate.
  • Show your injured worker our short film about the health benefits of good work.
  • Put your worker in touch with the Workers’ Compensation Information Service for confidential and independent advice on understanding and navigating the workers’ compensation process.
  • Use plain language and avoid jargon to improve the worker’s understanding. Check out the health literacy strategies and tips in NSW Health’s Health Literacy Handbook (p 8-11), and keep them in mind when you’re communicating with injured workers about medical and claim information relating to their injury.   

[1] COMPARE Project Team, Claims Experience in Injured Australian Workers: Overview and Association

 

Further information

For more information, visit our website, call 1300 362 128 or enquire online.

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