Injury management FAQs

Workplace rehabilitation is defined by the department as:

‘A coordinated process undertaken by an employer, in collaboration with the employee, their medical providers and their workplace, to assist the employee to return to work in a timely manner or safely maintain their attendance at work following an injury or illness.’

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
• the development of a rehabilitation plan (this is used to assist an injured employee who has been absent from work, or is temporarily unable to perform their full hours or duties, return to work. A rehabilitation plan may consist of a graduated return to work plan including 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.

Further information

• Workplace rehabilitation procedure

Each school and work unit should have access to a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator (RRTWC) to assist employees with their rehabilitation and return to work. If you are unsure who your RRTWC is, contact your principal, supervisor or manager.

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
  
• 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 Procedure. Their role is further defined in section 148 (PDF, 3.21MB) of the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulations 2025.

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 principal/manager/supervisor
  • ceasing any task which adversely affects their condition and reporting any problems immediately to their principal/manager/supervisor 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 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 Health, Safety and Wellbeing unit in Central Office that relate to rehabilitation include:

• developing and reviewing policy
• developing systems, training and resources to support workplace rehabilitation
• 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 the workplace health and safety incident/injury.
2. Record the incident and injury details 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 give it to your manager/supervisor.
3. Seek medical attention and obtain a workers' compensation work capacity certificate from your doctor.
4. If you choose to seek workers’ compensation, you can complete the online form, phone WorkCover Queensland on 1300 927 928.
5. Apply for leave if the injury results in time off work.
6. Provide the medical certificate to school administration or your manager/supervisor or Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator.

Further information

• Health, safety and wellbeing incident management
• WorkCover Queensland

Injured employees

If you are injured at work and choose to claim workers’ compensation, you should lodge your claim with WorkCover Queensland as soon as possible.

You must generally lodge your claim to WorkCover:

• within 6 months of receiving a diagnosis for your injury or illness; or
• within 20 business days of a doctor, nurse practitioner or dentist first assessing your injury as resulting in total or partial incapacity for work.
  

These time limits are set out in Queensland’s workers’ compensation legislation. If you miss the 6-month time limit, an exception may apply in certain circumstances.

Further information

• WorkCover Queensland

Employees who are injured in a work-related incident may apply for workers’ compensation.

Pending the claim decision from WorkCover Queensland, an employee can apply to use their paid sick leave entitlement. Once sick leave full pay has been fully exhausted, the employee can apply to use paid leave 'in-lieu' of sick leave (i.e. excess annual leave, recreation leave, long service leave).

If WorkCover Queensland accepts the claim, the employee’s leave entitlements are reimbursed to their leave balances. WorkCover Queensland will calculate a wage rate for accepted claims, which may be different from the wage rate the department was paying prior to injury. Differences in wage rates are considered to determine if the department continues to pay wages or requests WorkCover Queensland to pay wages directly to an employee.

If the workers’ compensation claim is denied by WorkCover Queensland and the employee is medically unable to work, employees can apply for further paid sick leave or paid leave 'in-lieu' of sick leave.

Another option that may be available for injured employees who have a denied claim with WorkCover Queensland is an income protection benefits claim through an employee’s superannuation fund.

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

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 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.

Employees who exhaust their sick leave balance and have income protection insurance with QSuper may apply 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.

Further information

• QSuper website
• Phone QSuper on 1300 360 750.

Yes. When returning to work after a period of incapacity or with a change in your capacity to undertake the full duties of your role, you will be asked to provide a medical certificate or medical documentation confirming your capacity to safely perform your duties. This helps ensure appropriate support or adjustments can be considered and supports the department’s responsibility to provide a safe workplace for you and others.

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 for notification purposes only.