Making consultation count: why it matters and how to get the most out of it
Workers are more likely to recover and return to work when they feel supported, heard and involved in decisions about their recovery. Effective consultation can help support your worker’s needs while reducing claim costs, claim durations and workplace disruption.
Best practice
Consultation is more than keeping people informed or complying with the law. It is a genuine two-way process where everyone involved can contribute, share information and help shape decisions.
Best-practice consultation takes a person-centred approach, which means working with the injured worker to understand their individual circumstances, needs and goals.
Effective consultation involves:
- sharing relevant information early and regularly
- giving stakeholders an opportunity to express their views
- genuinely considering feedback before making decisions
- discussing alternatives when barriers arise
- keeping communication clear, respectful and accessible.
Consultation should also be tailored to individual needs. This may include using an interpreter, providing information in different formats or involving a worker’s nominated support person where appropriate.
Workers’ compensation laws require insurers to prepare and review rehabilitation and return to work plans in consultation with you, your worker, and the worker’s treating health providers.
By actively participating in these discussions and responding promptly to requests for information, you can help ensure rehabilitation and return to work plans are practical, tailored and more likely to succeed.
Consultation should happen throughout a worker’s recovery journey – not just when developing a rehabilitation and return to work plan.
You can also consult when:
- developing rehabilitation and return to work policy and procedures
- identifying and addressing workplace hazards that contributed to an injury
- discussing barriers to recovery and exploring workplace adjustments
- identifying suitable duties and reviewing progress
- planning changes to duties, hours or work arrangements.
Why this is important
Research consistently shows that a return to work is more likely when you use a supportive, person-centred approach that actively involves workers in planning and decision-making.
Addressing the psychological and social factors that contribute to workers’ compensation-related stress can reduce work disability (which may include time away from work and impaired work performance) and the associated costs by up to 50 per cent.
When an injured worker feels heard, valued and involved, they are more likely to participate in their rehabilitation and return to work plan. This can lead to:
- improved wellbeing and recovery
- stronger engagement and trust
- earlier and more sustainable return to work outcomes
- reduced claim durations and costs
- reduced workplace disruption and improved productivity.
By consulting with other workers in the workplace:
- you’ll receive input on hazards, risks and solutions from people who understand and do the work
- your workforce will be more committed to implementing decisions they have been involved with making
- you’ll build cooperation and trust with your workforce by communicating regularly about health, safety, and recovery and return to work.
What actions can I take now?
- Reflect on your consultation approach. Consider how your workplace consults with workers and supervisors/managers after an injury and throughout the return to work process. Identify what's working well and where improvements can be made.
- Involve your workers early. Include them in discussions from the time an injury is reported and seek their input before making decisions.
- Ask how they want to be consulted. Everyone communicates differently. Where possible, tailor communication methods and meeting arrangements to suit their needs and preferences.
- Encourage open conversations. Use open-ended questions to invite participation and uncover concerns early. For example:
- "What are your thoughts on this plan?"
- "What support would help you return to work safely?"
- "Is there anything we may have overlooked?"
- “What do you think you can do?”
- “What will help you get back to work?”
- Leave room for further input. Workers and managers may need time to reflect on discussions. Provide an opportunity to share additional feedback after a meeting before finalising next steps.
Your toolkit
Before finalising a return to work decision, ask yourself:
- Has the worker had an opportunity to share their views?
- Has the manager/supervisor had an opportunity to share their views?
- Have relevant stakeholders been consulted?
- Has feedback been genuinely considered?
- Is the decision practical, achievable and tailored to the worker's and/or workplace’s needs?
- Does everyone understand the agreed next steps?
- Check out new and updated rehabilitation and return to work resources on the WorkSafe Queensland website:
- Read more about planning a return to work, rehabilitation and return to work plans and the laws relating to rehabilitation and return to work.
- Check out the rehabilitation and return to work guideline for insurers for information about the responsibilities of insurers, employers and workers in rehabilitation and return to work planning, how these interact, the important role of treating health providers, and how working together supports positive outcomes for injured workers.
- Read about suitable duties programs and access a suitable duties program template (DOCX, 0.15 MB).
- Ensure that suitable duties programs meet the Guideline for standard for rehabilitation (second edition) (PDF, 0.4 MB)
- Adopt an evidence-informed, person-centred approach to improve return to work outcomes.
- Review the National Disability Practitioners What is a person-centred approach? factsheet, which includes a video about how to take a person-centred approach.