Managing Workplace Injuries for Employers Across Australia
Protect your business from costly claims, rising premiums and compliance risks with legally supported workplace injury management.
Workplace injuries can pose significant challenges for businesses, impacting not only the well-being of all employees but also the organisation’s reputation, financial health, and ability to operate. At Hentys, we specialise in providing comprehensive Workplace Injury Management and Premium Monitoring services to protect your business and support your staff.
At Hentys, we not only support your business and staff who have workplace and non-workplace related injuries with the management of their injury and return to work, but also assist with managing the impacts to your WorkCover Premiums.
We work with you to prevent and actively manage workplace injury claims in every State and Territory of Australia: we protect you from claims against your business, mitigate the risks of adverse actions being taken in the Fair Work Commission, Human Rights Commissions, Tribunals or Courts, and actively assist with managing WorkCover claims with the relevant state or territory’s authorised WorkCover agent, which also assists with keeping WorkCover premiums down. We work with clients across Australia, including Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane.
Why Workplace Injury Management Matters to Employers
A poorly managed injury can quickly escalate into:
- Increased WorkCover premiums
- Prolonged employee absence
- Disputes or litigation
- Compliance breaches
- Operational disruption
- Long-term financial liability
Effective injury management is not about reacting to incidents — it is about controlling outcomes from day one. We help employers take control of the process early to reduce risk and ensure lawful, commercially sound decisions.
Supporting Employers Across High-Risk and Complex Work Environments
We work with organisations across sectors where injury risk and regulatory expectations are significant, including:
- Construction and infrastructure
- Manufacturing and industrial operations
- Professional and corporate services
- Transport and logistics
- Education and community services
- Multi-site national employers
Our advice is always tailored to your operational reality.
Our Workplace Injury Management Services include:
- Challenging liability for WorkCover claims where:
- There may be reason to believe the Worker is not legitimately injured;
- Your Authorised WorkCover Agent has incorrectly accepted a WorkCover claim, or otherwise failed to use the exceptions contained in the Act;
- There may be reason to believe that there was a previous employer who contributed to the alleged injury; or
- There may be reason to believe a Worker is untruthful, such as working a second job, whilst they are certified unfit for employment;
- Participation and advocacy in Conciliation before the Workplace Injury Commission or your state’s relevant body where liability is disputed or part of a claim for compensation is rejected.
- Participation and preparation before Arbitration
- Liaising with Workers Compensation Insurers and Authorities to ensure the correct actions are taken, and the right decisions are made.
- Submitting Legal Briefing Submissions to the Workers Compensation Authority, where evidence suggests that an insurer has not made the right decision.
- Facilitating forensic investigations on workers to ensure legitimacy and/or the extent of their injury and workers’ compensation claim.
- Supporting your legal obligations to return your employee to work, whilst supporting your team and the worker in their return to work.
- Assessing the worker’s capacity to safely perform the inherent requirements of their role via Assessments, such as Functional Capacity Evaluations and Psychological Capacity Assessments.
- Assisting your business through the drafting of scripts and letters to ensure compliant processes and communications with your workers.
- Providing sound advice to balance your business needs, legal obligations and concerns around managing your employees’ injuries.
- Monitoring your WorkCover premiums through regular meetings with your business and the insurer, and advising on Statistical Case Estimates.
Hentys are very proud of our success stories where fraudsters are caught, and our clients have their premiums refunded.
By choosing Hentys, you can be sure that your business’s interests are supported every step of the way, and considered from not only an employment law perspective, but also from other intersecting areas of law, including OH&S, WorkCover, Disability Discrimination and Equal Opportunity.
For urgent WorkCover and Employment matters, please call Timothy Ashton at any time on 0416 094 174.
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Workplace Injury Management FAQs
Workplace Injury Management Questions Answered
Managing a workplace injury involves more than submitting a WorkCover claim. Employers must consider employee wellbeing, return-to-work obligations, suitable duties, insurance costs and workplace compliance. Explore common questions about workplace injury management and how Hentys supports employers across Melbourne and Australia.
What is workplace injury management?
Workplace injury management involves coordinating the processes, responsibilities and support required when an employee experiences a work-related injury or illness.
It can include workers compensation claims, return-to-work planning, suitable duties, medical capacity assessments, workplace safety obligations and communication with insurers.
Hentys provides workplace injury management services for employers, helping businesses manage claims, understand their obligations and address legal and financial risks.
What should an employer do when an employee is injured at work?
Employers should prioritise the injured employee’s immediate safety and access to appropriate medical assistance.
Depending on the circumstances, employers may also need to:
- Record the workplace incident
- Preserve relevant evidence
- Notify WorkSafe of a notifiable incident
- Provide workers compensation claim information
- Meet applicable insurer notification requirements
- Consider suitable duties and return-to-work arrangements
- Review workplace hazards and preventative measures
Hentys assists employers with injury management obligations and complex WorkCover matters.
What are an employer’s return-to-work obligations in Victoria?
Victorian employers have return-to-work obligations under the applicable workers compensation legislation.
Depending on the circumstances, these may include planning for an injured employee’s return, consulting with relevant parties, providing suitable employment where required and supporting ongoing recovery at work.
The extent and duration of these obligations depend on the employee’s circumstances and the applicable law.
Hentys helps employers understand and manage their return-to-work responsibilities.
Can an employer challenge a WorkCover claim?
Employers may be able to dispute or seek review of certain workers compensation decisions through processes available under the relevant legislation.
Concerns may relate to claim liability, the available evidence, work-related causation or particular insurer decisions.
Employers cannot simply reject a claim themselves because they disagree with an employee’s account. Claims must be handled through the applicable statutory processes.
Hentys provides advice on disputed WorkCover claims and employer options.
How can workplace injury management help reduce WorkCover premiums?
Effective workplace injury management may help employers control claims-related costs and identify issues that affect their workers compensation premiums.
This can involve reviewing claims information, monitoring insurer decisions, identifying potential premium calculation errors and supporting appropriate return-to-work outcomes.
Premium outcomes depend on the relevant scheme and individual circumstances, so reductions cannot be guaranteed.
Hentys assists employers with WorkCover premium monitoring and related claims management issues.
What happens if an injured employee cannot return to their normal duties?
Where an injured employee cannot immediately perform their usual duties, the employer may need to consider suitable alternative duties or modified work arrangements.
Decisions should take account of medical capacity information, workplace safety, operational requirements and applicable return-to-work obligations.
Hentys supports employers in assessing available options and managing the employment implications of work restrictions.
Can employers manage non-work-related injuries?
Yes. Employers may need to manage the workplace implications of injuries or illnesses that occurred outside employment.
This can involve assessing fitness for work, considering reasonable adjustments, reviewing medical restrictions and managing employee absence.
Non-work-related injuries generally raise different workers compensation issues, but employment law, discrimination and workplace safety obligations may still apply.
Hentys assists employers with both work-related and non-work-related injury management matters.
When is a functional capacity evaluation necessary?
A functional capacity evaluation may be appropriate when an employer needs further information about an employee’s ability to perform particular work duties safely.
Assessments can help clarify functional limitations, suitable duties and potential return-to-work arrangements.
Any assessment should be justified by the circumstances and conducted by an appropriately qualified professional.
Hentys also assists with psychological functional capacity evaluations where relevant to employment and workplace injury matters.
How are psychological injuries managed in the workplace?
Psychological injuries require careful consideration of employee wellbeing, medical evidence, workplace risks and applicable employment obligations.
Employers may need to manage psychological injury claims, consider adjustments, address psychosocial hazards and coordinate appropriate return-to-work arrangements.
Hentys assists employers with the legal and practical aspects of psychological injury management, including relevant capacity assessment processes.
What happens when an injured employee refuses suitable duties?
Where an employee declines proposed suitable duties, employers should first consider the employee’s reasons and whether the duties are consistent with their medical capacity.
Relevant considerations may include medical restrictions, workplace safety, communication, return-to-work obligations and the reasonableness of the proposed duties.
Employers should avoid automatically treating a refusal as misconduct without reviewing the circumstances and obtaining appropriate advice.
Can an employer terminate an employee who is on WorkCover?
Terminating an employee who is receiving workers compensation benefits involves significant legal considerations.
Employers must consider applicable workers compensation protections, unfair dismissal laws, general protections, discrimination legislation, contractual obligations and return-to-work duties.
Being on WorkCover does not create an absolute prohibition on dismissal in every circumstance. However, termination decisions require careful assessment of the facts and applicable legal protections.
Hentys provides employment law advice for employers considering injury-related employment decisions.
How does Hentys assist employers with workplace injury management?
Hentys provides employer-focused workplace injury management support covering the legal, operational and financial implications of workplace injuries and illness.
Services include:
- WorkCover claims and liability disputes
- Return-to-work obligations and suitable duties
- Functional capacity and fitness-for-work matters
- Psychological injury management
- WorkCover premium monitoring
- Employment law and workplace compliance advice
- Coordination with insurers and relevant professionals
Hentys works with employers across Melbourne and Australia to help manage workplace injury risks and make informed employment decisions.
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