Compensation Policy and Return to Work Effectiveness (COMPARE) project
Read more about the COMPARE Project.
Our partners:
This project is funded by Safe Work Australia and WorkSafe Victoria. The following organisations provide data and advice to support the project:
State Insurance Regulatory Authority of New South Wales, Department of Justice and Attorney-General Queensland, WorkCover WA, ReturnToWorkSA, WorkCover Tasmania, NT WorkSafe, Comcare, Treasury and Economic Development ACT, Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Industry Group.
What is the challenge?
Long periods of time off work after an injury are associated with worse health outcomes, higher costs and lower likelihood of returning to work. The policy and practices of workers compensation systems plays a big role in influencing return to work after injury. However, determining which policies are most effective is difficult. By comparing outcomes between different Australian jurisdictions, In order to create effective future legislation and policies that help people get back to work, we need tools that can help examine policies and determine their effectiveness.
Our approach
We are analysing data from 13 years of the National Dataset of Workers’ Compensation Statistics and the most recent four years of National Return to Work Survey. Using a range of comparative and descriptive analysis techniques, we have identified groups of workers at high risk of injury (for example,first responders to incidents) and have examined the impact of policy settings and policy changes on time lost to work.
What will the project achieve?
- Development of policies that reduce wage compensation costs and ultimately reduce employer insurance premiums
- Identification of at-risk groups, creating opportunity for early intervention
What it means for worker’s health and insurance systems
Policies that promote appropriate and timely return to work improve long-term health outcomes for injured workers. There is a strong body of research suggesting that earlier return to work – even when a person is not 100 per cent recovered from injury – promotes better health. Earlier return to work reduces wage compensation costs. This reduction in cost has a flow-on effect, ultimately lowering scheme payouts and reducing employer insurance premiums.
Communicating our findings
We have communicated findings to the project’s Advisory Group in the form of reports and meetings. For wider audiences, we have published in Open Access peer-review journals (e.g. BMJ Open, BMC Public Health) and presented at international conferences, including the International Symposium on Epidemiology in Occupational Health [EPICOH] in Edinburgh in August 2017 and the Australian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference [AIPN] in Ballarat in November 2017.
Read more about the COMPARE Project.
