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Important Message about Return to Work Plans and The Victorian WorkCover Authority has reinforced the need for every Victorian employer to develop Return to Work Plans and Offers of Suitable Employment for their injured workers. Employers must prepare a Return to Work Plan for any injured worker who has an incapacity for work likely to exceed 20 days. An Offer of Suitable Employment must be prepared by an employer when an injured worker has a current work capacity. [s155A of the Accident Compensation Act (the Act)]. It is also very important to send copies of your completed Return to Work Plans and Offers of Suitable Employment to Xchanging. What is a Return to Work Plan? A Return to Work Plan is a valuable tool to assist you, your injured worker and their treating health practitioner to achieve a safe and durable return to work. A Return to Work Plan is a written action plan to keep your injured workers at work or return them to work after an injury. The plan details the assistance that you will provide to your injured workers and who will provide it. What is an Offer of Suitable Employment? An offer of suitable employment is the written outline of the suitable duties you have identified to return your injured worker to work. Suitable employment is defined in the Act and means work that suits the nature of the worker's injury and their current work capacity. It is the work the injured worker can do without the risk of further injury, taking into account current medical advice. Why is a Return to Work Plan and Offer of Suitable Employment so important? Return to Work Plans and Offers of Suitable Employment are key communication and management tools which set return to work goals and expectations for all parties and outline a course of action for how they will be achieved. Although a plan is only required under the law when an injured worker has an incapacity for work for 20 calendar days or more, you have a better chance of getting the worker back to work quickly if the plan is developed earlier than this . Your chances of keeping a worker at work or returning an injured worker to work who has a partial work capacity will also increase when you have a plan in place for them and actively manage their return to work. How do I prepare a Return to Work Plan and Offer of Suitable Employment? The Return to Work Guide for Victorian Employers , available on the website www.workcover.vic.gov.au, provides valuable information to assist employers to prepare Return to Work Plans and Offers of Suitable Employment. You can also order this publication, free of charge, by telephoning Victorian WorkCover Publications on (03) 9641 1444 or emailing publications@workcover.vic.gov.au Click here to download a copy of the Return to Work Plan and Offer of Suitable Employment template. Your Xchanging case manager or injury management adviser can also assist you in preparing return to work plans by exploring potential suitable employment options and arranging for additional on-site assistance through occupational rehabilitation providers if you are finding it difficult to establish suitable duties. Where do I send my completed Return to Work Plans and Offers of Suitable Employment? Upon completion of a Return to Work Plan and Offer of Suitable Employment please send a copy to your Case Manager Xchanging |
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