As of July 1, 2020, the Queensland government has made changes to the WorkCover Queensland scheme. This is based on recommendations from the government’s five-year scheme review.

The three major changes to the scheme are:

• Reporting of injuries and payments even if a claim is not made
• Unpaid interns are now covered under workers’ compensation
• Details, qualifications and training of your RRTWC are now required

This article will cover the third change made to the scheme. To see our articles on the other two changes, please click on the links above.

Details, qualifications and training of your RRTWC are now required

The third change to the scheme is that all details of an employer’s Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinators (RRTWC) must be reported to WorkCover within 12 months of their appointment. (For existing RRTWCs, employers have until 30 June 2021 to report.)

Because of the vital role they play in the recovery and return-to-work procedures of injured workers, RRTWCs need to have the appropriately qualifications, experience and/or standing to perform the role. Employers must ensure that the RRTWCs they work with are:

• Appropriately qualified
• Based in Queensland, and
• Employed under a contract

Employers can notify their insurer of their appointed RRTWCs by calling WorkCover Queensland or through the WorkCover Connect system.

The details that need to be reported include:

· the RRTWC’s name and contact details

• the addresses for each workplace where they are the appointed RRTWC
• a short statement about how they are appropriately qualified.

According to WorkCover Queensland, the following are considerations for employers to make in order to ensure their RRTWC are suitable:

• their experience in the role, or similar roles
• their formal qualifications or training in relevant disciplines such as allied health or injury management;
• their knowledge and skills in claims management and successful return to work for injured workers, and
• their suitability for the size of your workplace and the volume and complexity of your claims.

In addition to the above, there is now a new option for someone to become qualified as an RRTWC through training courses (subject to approval by the Workers’ Compensation Regulator). Note that this is not mandatory, simply one way to ensure that a RRTWC is appropriately qualified.

For more information on these and other changes, please view the WorkSafe Queensland website.

Disclaimer: This article provides general advice and should not be considered legal advice or an insurance consultation. You should seek appropriate counsel for your own situation. In addition, this post is directed at people in Australia. If you are outside Australia, please be aware that the circumstances in your own country may be different.