Injury management FAQs

Workplace rehabilitation is defined by the department as:

'A managed process coordinated by an employer, in collaboration with the employee, their medical practitioners and their workplace, to assist an employee return to work in a timely manner following an injury.'

Rehabilitation should commence as soon as possible after an injury or illness occurs and may include:

• maintaining regular contact with the injured employee
• maintaining regular contact with the injured employee's treating medical providers
• modifications to the employee's duties and/or responsibilities to enable the injured or ill employee to continue working (this is called a maintain-at-work program.)
• the development of a return-to-work program (this is used to assist an injured employee who has been absent from work, or is temporarily unable to perform their full hours, return to work. A return-to-work program may consist of alterations to the number of days worked per week, hours worked per day, and the duties performed.)

An employee's rehabilitation is coordinated by a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator.

The rehabilitation process is outlined in the following flowcharts:

• Work-Related Injury (DOC, 412KB)
• Non-Work-Related Injury (DOC, 408KB)

Further information

• DoE Workplace Rehabilitation Policy and Procedures

School based employees

The Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator (RRTWC) allocated to each school assists with the rehabilitation of school based employees. If you are unsure who the RRTWC for your school is, contact the school administration.

Regional Employees

For assistance with issues relating to the rehabilitation of a regional employee, the Senior Injury Management Consultant should be contacted.

Central Office Employees

For assistance with issues relating to the rehabilitation of an employee attached to Central Office, contact the Organisational Health Unit on (07) 3513 6562.

The Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator (RRTWC) is responsible for coordinating and monitoring individual rehabilitation programs. This includes:

• initiating and maintaining contact with employees absent from work, or expected to be absent from work, for more than 5 days
• developing, coordinating, and monitoring rehabilitation plans for injured or ill employees
• educating all employees about workplace rehabilitation procedures and guidelines and what to expect when an injury or illness occurs.

For more information about the responsibilities of RRTWCs, please refer to the department's Workplace Rehabilitation Procedures. Their role is further defined in section 99B (PDF, 964KB) of the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulations 2003.

The responsibilities of injured and ill employees during a rehabilitation process include:

• complying with reporting procedures for work-related and non-work-related injuries and illnesses
• providing medical documentation in support of their absence or rehabilitation needs, including medical certification that details the nature of the injury or illness and the approximate period of absence
• participating in rehabilitation by:
  • cooperating with, and participating in, the development of an appropriate rehabilitation program
  • maintaining regular contact with their Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator (RRTWC) and manager/principal
  • ceasing any task which adversely affects their condition and reporting any problems immediately to their manager/principal and/or RRTWC
  • obtaining appropriate medical treatment from a doctor of their own choosing
  • complying with rehabilitation program, and not undertaking activities, (including those outside work hours) which could hinder recovery
  • participating in any referrals by the department to a rehabilitation provider.

For more information about the responsibilities of RRTWCs please refer to the department's Workplace Rehabilitation Procedures.

The department may provide workplace rehabilitation programs to assist employees with a non-work related injury or illness return to work, unless the employee:

• does not want rehabilitation support
• does not provide the department with a current medical authority form if this is required to facilitate rehabilitation
• does not comply with appropriate medical treatment
• does not actively participate in an agreed rehabilitation program
• is employed casually.

For further information about rehabilitation services available please speak to your local Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator.

Regions

The primary role of regions is the provision of a consultancy service to principals and school based Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinators (RRTWC) to assist schools with the provision of workplace rehabilitation.

In addition, Injury Management Consultants in regions may provide rehabilitation case management services for complex rehabilitation cases in line with the department's priorities.

For further information about regional rehabilitation support services please contact the Senior Injury Management Consultant in your region.

Central Office

The services provided by the Organisational Health Unit in Central Office that relate to rehabilitation include:

• developing and reviewing policy
• developing systems and resources to support rehabilitation
• assisting coordinate the delivery of RRTWC training
• providing an advisory service to regions
• managing the WorkCover premium.

Return-to-work programs are organised by a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator, at the school or Region and may involve an employee working reduced hours.

During the period of a return-to-work program, an employee will be paid by the department for the hours they are working. The hours they do not work may be funded through various sources depending on entitlements. These are:

• WorkCover Queensland
• QSuper
• using available leave entitlements e.g. sick leave.

If you are injured during the course of your work, the following steps should be followed:

1. Immediately inform your supervisor/manager of any health and safety incident/injury.
2. Record the injury in MyHR WHS (DoE employees only), or if MyHR WHS is not available, e.g. system outage, camp, excursion, staff with limited access to MyHR/visitors, then complete a paper based 'Health and Safety Incident Data Collection Form' (available on OnePortal) and hand it to your manager/supervisor.
3. Seek medical attention and obtain a 'Workers Compensation' medical certificate from your doctor.
4. Complete a WorkCover Claim form FM106 (PDF, 60KB) when you incur medical expenses or have time off work.
5. Complete an 'Application For Leave To Claim Workers' Compensation Form' (available from your school administration or workplace manager) if the injury results in time off work.
6. Provide the forms and medical certificate to school administration or your manager/supervisor or Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator.
7. The principal or manager/supervisor completes the relevant section of the WorkCover Claim form FM106 (PDF, 60KB) and forwards all forms to the regional office (or to the Organisational Health Unit in Central office - for Central Office employees).
8. The regional office/central office completes wages information section of the above form before submitting the claim to WorkCover.
9. If your injury is going to cause an absence from work of more than 5 days a Workplace Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator should be allocated to assist with your rehabilitation back into the workplace.

Further information

• Health, safety and wellbeing incident management
• WorkCover Queensland
• Worker checklist to lodging WorkCover claim
• Employer checklist to lodging WorkCover claim

Injured employees

An injured employee should lodge a WorkCover Claim form FM106 (PDF, 60KB) within 20 business days after the date first seen by a doctor for their injury.

If an application is lodged more than 20 business days after the entitlement to compensation arises, the extent of WorkCover's liability to compensation is limited to a period starting no earlier than 20 business days before the day on which the valid application is lodged.

A WorkCover claim is valid and enforceable only if it is lodged within 6 months after the date first seen by a doctor.

Employers

The WorkCover Claim form FM106 (PDF, 60KB) must be lodged with WorkCover within 8 business days after the first of the following happens:

• the employer knows the injury has been sustained
• the worker reports the injury to the employer
• the employer receives WorkCover's written request for a report.

Schools/workplaces should complete all relevant sections on the form, then forward the form to the Regional Claims Officer (Organisational Health Unit in Central office - for Central office employees) to finalise and forward to WorkCover. If a school/workplace is concerned about the details of the claim, this should be indicated in the question confirming whether the school is supporting the claim. If you indicate that you are not supporting the claim, details of a contact person should be provided next to this question, with a statement requesting that WorkCover contact them to discuss their concerns.

To assist in determining the claim, WorkCover may seek further information from employer.

Further information

• WorkCover Queensland
• Worker checklist for lodging a WorkCover claim
• Employer checklist for lodging a WorkCover claim

For physical injury claims lodged by permanent employees who require time off work, the department continues payment of normal fortnightly salary.

Following acceptance of the claim, WorkCover Queensland reimburses the department directly under an assigned pay arrangement. This arrangement minimises disruptions to an injured employee's salary and regular payroll deductions and also minimises the likelihood of overpayments.

If WorkCover Queensland rejects the claim, any salary payments made will be deducted from sick leave credits or deducted from future wages.

Claims from non-permanent employees or claims from permanent employees for psychological injuries are not sponsored on an assignee pay basis. Sick leave is approved up to the sick leave balance available. On acceptance of the claim by WorkCover Queensland, sick leave credits are reimbursed.

If WorkCover Queensland accepts a claim for compensation, benefits that may be available include:

• payment of wages for absences from work
• costs of medical treatment and hospitalisation
• cost of rehabilitation
• lump sum payments for permanent impairment.

Further information

• WorkCover Queensland homepage

Under the department's insurance policy, WorkCover Queensland provides compensation benefits to employees who sustain an injury while travelling to or from their place of employment. These claims are referred to as Journey Claims. The event causing the injury or injuries must occur while the employee is on a journey between:

• home and the place of employment (a journey to or from home is considered to start and end at the boundary of the land on which the home is situated. Home means the employee's usual place of residence, and includes a place where the employee temporarily resided before starting a journey or intended to temporarily reside after ending a journey)
• home or place of employment and a trade, technical or other training school as required by the employee's conditions of employment or that the department expects the employee to attend
• one place of employment and a second place of employment
• (if an employee has an existing accepted WorkCover claim) home or place of employment and a place for the following reasons
  • to obtain medical or hospital advice, attention or treatment
  • to undertake rehabilitation
  • to be examined by a medical practitioner or recognised health provider under a provision of the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld)
  • to receive payment of compensation.

WorkCover may reject a journey claim if the event happens:

• while the worker is in control of a vehicle and contravenes the Traffic Act 1946 s16 (Driving under the influence) or Criminal Code s328A (Dangerous operation of a vehicle) or
• during or after
  • a substantial delay before the journey commences
  • a substantial interruption of, or deviation from, the journey.

Further information

• For specific advice regarding journey claim entitlements, contact WorkCover Queensland.

Under the Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) the department's rehabilitation obligations are to:

• appoint a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator
• have a workplace rehabilitation policy and procedure
• take all reasonable steps to provide a worker who has sustained a work-related injury with rehabilitation for the period the worker is entitled to compensation.

Principals and managers are responsible for implementing the department's workplace rehabilitation procedures. This includes:

• ensuring they have a trained Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator attached to their school
• providing employees with information and access to the department's workplace rehabilitation procedures and ensuring they are aware of their obligations in relation to it - in particular, the reporting of work-related and non-work-related injuries
• helping in the development and implementation of rehabilitation programs for injured employees.

Principals also need to ensure that a WorkCover Claim form FM106 (PDF, 60KB) is provided to WorkCover within 8 days of a work related injury occurring. Schools/workplaces should complete relevant sections of the claim, then forward the form to the Regional Claims Officer (Organisational Health Unit in Central office for Central office staff) to finalise and forward to WorkCover. If a school/workplace is concerned about the details of the claim, this should be indicated in the question confirming whether the school is supporting the claim. If you indicate that you are not supporting the claim, details of a contact person should be provided next to this question, with a statement requesting that WorkCover contact them to discuss their concerns.

For more information about the responsibilities of a principal/manager, please refer to the department's Workplace Rehabilitation Procedures. Resources have been developed to assist principals/managers (DOCX, 386KB) with implementing workplace rehabilitation in their school/workplace.

It is the department's policy that all workplaces must have an accredited Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator (RRTWC) attached to them. This means that all schools/workplaces need to either organise for an appropriate member of their staff to be trained as a RRTWC, or negotiate with a nearby school to share a coordinator.

If a school/workplace chooses to train their own RRTWC the document Selecting an Appropriate Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator (PDF, 292KB) will assist with selecting the appropriate staff member for training. Please see Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator Training for further information.

If a school wishes to share a RRTWC with another school an agreement should be developed and signed by all parties. A template for sharing a coordinator (DOC, 387KB) is available.

Employees who exhaust their sick leave balance and have income protection insurance with QSuper may apply to access Income Protection Benefits (PDF, 809KB) to receive a percentage of their wage from QSuper, in accordance with QSuper's eligibility criteria.

The payment of Income Protection Benefits by QSuper does not impact upon an individual's superannuation fund.

Employees who sustain permanent disabilities may apply for a disability benefit from QSuper, in accordance with eligibility criteria.

QSuper insurance arrangements for members of Accumulation Accounts changed on 1 July 2019. These changes are summarised in the fact sheet (PDF, 418KB).

Further information

• QSuper income protection benefit guide (PDF, 809KB)
• QSuper Website
• Phone QSuper on 1300 360 750.

Upon returning to full duties after a period of incapacity, an injured employee will be requested to provide a medical clearance. This confirms that their doctors believe that there is no risk of further injury to the employee upon their return to full hours and duties. The request for a medical clearance is made based on the department's obligation to ensure the workplace health and safety of all employees and others at a workplace.

If you think you have been exposed to asbestos in your school, you should immediately notify your principal and record the event as a workplace health and safety incident in MyHR WHS (DoE employees only). In addition, you are able to lodge a WorkCover claim (PDF, 60KB) for notification purposes only.

To lodge a WorkCover claim for exposure to asbestos you will need to complete Claim form—Asbestos Injury FM202 (DOC, 794KB).