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OH&S - Rehabilitation/Return to Work

In the event of employees suffering a work-related injury every endeavour will be made to return the injured worker to the workplace through a rehabilitation process. This process will give injured workers the opportunity to stay in the workforce by returning to the job for which they were originally employed or, through retraining, to start a new job.

If your treating medical practitioner indicates on the Certificate of Capacity that you have capacity a return to work on modified or alternative duties, then you will need to contact the Return To Work Coordinator before commencing work.

If you are totally incapacitated for work for 10 days or more, a return to work plan including an offer of suitable employment will be established by the Return to Work Coordinator. In some cases this will mean that a Rehabilitation Provider will be engaged prior to the lodgement of a Workers Compensation claim.

The Role of the Rehabilitation Providers is to :

• Provide rehabilitation to the injured/ill workers where a required
• Liaise with the Return to Work Co-ordinator, the injured employee, the injured worker's manager, the treating medical practitioner and the Insurer and to assist in the development of a written rehabilitation plan.
• Injured staff have a choice of at least 3 Rehabilitation Providers where such a service is required. The choice must be made within 14 days otherwise the decision will be made by the Return to Work Co-ordinator.

Swinburne's Preferred Rehabilitation Providers:

 The Process:

The supervisor/manager must notify the Return to Work Co-ordinator immediately if the injury is likely to result in time loss, rehabilitation intervention or work restrictions.

On receiving notification of any injury or illness, the Rehabilitation/Return to Work Co-ordinator will make contact with the injured/ill employee where practicable and their supervisor/manager immediately. If rehabilitation is required, the Rehabilitation/Return to Work Co-ordinator will facilitate a rehabilitation/return to work program in conjunction with key parties.

The nature and type of rehabilitation will be made on the basis of:

• The nature of the injury/illness;
• work restrictions;
• nature of pre-injury work, and
• availability of suitable duties

If there are no suitable duties available within the job description, other duties will be assessed for suitability.

Agreed rehabilitation/return to work details will be specified in writing. Suitable duties will be reviewed on a regular basis until the employee returns to his/her pre-injury duties or is permanently placed in suitable employment. Reviews will be documented. Copies of all documentation will be given to the injured/ill employee, their supervisor/manager and the treating medical practitioner.

If the employee is assessed as being unfit for any duties, the Return to Work Co-ordinator and/or the university's nominated Rehabilitation Provider will maintain regular contact with the employee, the treating doctor and the supervisor/ manager until capacity for suitable duties is identified.

Any disagreement over rehabilitation/return to work plan will be negotiated by the Return to Work Co-ordinator, in consultation with the injured staff member, his/her supervisor/manager and if necessary the Head of Department.

Refusal to Participate in a Return to Work Program.

 If you refuse to take part in rehabilitation or training, or if you are not seeking suitable employment, your benefits may stop.