The Queensland Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 (Qld) is currently in the public consultation phase.
The amendments proposed by the Bill will have a significant impact on businesses that have a high volume of psychiatric injury claims or that are required to appoint a rehabilitation and return-to-work coordinator.
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Employers should be aware that the Bill as currently drafted:
- Amends the definition of psychiatric injury such that the new definition is broader than the existing definition, likely increasing the number of accepted psychiatric injury claims.
- Requires those employers who are required to appoint a rehabilitation and return-to-work coordinator to also submit to their insurer details demonstrating how their coordinator is appropriately qualified to undertake their role.
- Requires that the workers’ compensation insurer must take all reasonable steps to provide reasonable support services to workers with a psychological injury before acceptance of their claim.
- Requires the workers’ compensation insurer to continue to provide rehabilitation and return-to-work support to injured workers after the relevant statutory claim has been finalised.
- Clarifies the insurers’ discretion to accept claims more than six months after the injury is diagnosed, if the injured worker has lodged a claim within 20 days of developing an incapacity for work from their injury.
There will be a public hearing and briefing on Monday 16 September 2019 and the Committee’s report is due 8 October 2019.
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