Return to Work in a Changing Labour Market

The Australian labour market, like many developed labour markets is changing. Many changes in the labour market over the last 25 years have outpaced the development of occupational health and safety (OHS) policy and programmes which were designed to both prevent workplace injuries and illnesses and facilitate the recovery and return to work (RTW) of those workers who are injured.

This project will identify the relationship between occupational, workplace, health care provider and individual level factors on disability, recovery expectations, self-efficacy to RTW, and actual RTW and work productivity over a 12 month period among approximately 960 respondents, with either a back or upper extremity musculoskeletal condition or a mental health claim. It aims to identify differences in the return to work process for older versus younger workers and for claimants with mental versus musculoskeletal injuries. To achieve this, it will collect information on aspects of the RTW process which may potentially be important, but have not been included in other RTW studies to date, and combine this information with administrative compensation claim data.