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1.0                Purpose and Scope

The University of Queensland (UQ) is committed to providing high quality workers’ compensation services, work rehabilitation [1] and suitable duties programs where necessary, to all employees with a compensable injury or illness to enable them to remain at work or return to work as soon as medically practicable.

This policy outlines UQ’s obligations as a self-insurer and employer under the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (the Act) and the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014. The policy applies to all UQ employees who have sustained a work-related injury or illness that has been assessed and accepted by UQ as a workers’ compensation claim. The policy is not applicable to contractors, students, volunteers or visitors.

2.0                Principles and Key Requirements

  1. Injured employees that have an accepted workers’ compensation claim are entitled to all reasonable and necessary payments, medical treatment and rehabilitation that is appropriate in the circumstances and payable in accordance with the Act.
  2. The Work Injury Management Unit within UQ makes liability decisions according to the provisions of the Act, exercising reasonably the functions and powers of an insurer in accordance with the Act and the conditions of its self-insurance licence, without any influence from other parties. 
  3. UQ provides work rehabilitation and suitable duties programs to employees with a compensable injury or illness, to enable them to stay at work or to facilitate an early and safe return to work after injury.
  4. UQ manages its rehabilitation obligations through a return to work program in accordance with the following principles:

Priority 1: The employee returns to their original duties.

Priority 2: The employee returns to a modified version of their original duties.

Priority 3: The employee is redeployed to new duties preferably within their organisational unit, or within another organisational  unit.

Priority 4: The employee is unable to be redeployed within UQ and employment is terminated on the grounds of ill health in accordance with the Medical Conditions Affecting Performance policy and Enterprise Agreement.

3.0                Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities

3.1                 Work Injury Management unit

The Work Injury Management unit (WIM) within the Health, Safety and Wellness Division is responsible for administering UQ’s self-insurance workers’ compensation licence under the Act. WIM manages regulatory compliance, claims services and coordination of the development and maintenance of any necessary rehabilitation and return to work programs in consultation with the employee, employer and medical providers under UQ’s accredited return to work program. 

WIM ensures strict confidentiality of workers’ compensation medical and personal information for injured employees as a self-insurance licence requirement. Under the Act, WIM may communicate with the relevant manager about an employee’s functional capacities and fitness for work, only for the purpose of providing a rehabilitation and return to work program.

WIM will ensure that employers are advised of their rights to review of decision.

3.2                 UQ employees

UQ employees may apply for a workers’ compensation claim under the Act and if the claim is accepted, are responsible for active participation in their work rehabilitation and suitable duties program.

3.3                 Managers and supervisors

Managers and supervisors have a statutory responsibility to cooperatively work with WIM and the injured employee for the development, implementation and monitoring of suitable duties programs in order to facilitate the best possible return to work outcome for the injured person.

4.0                Monitoring, Review and Assurance

4.1                 Workers’ Compensation Regulator

Under the Act, the Queensland Workers’ Compensation Regulator may review claims decisions and appeals of claims decisions made by WIM.

Outcome data from WIM is monitored by the regulator. UQ’s compliance with its licence conditions for self‑insurance are assessed by the regulator midway through the licence period and prior to the expiry of each licence term.

4.2                 Health, Safety and Wellness Division

The Health, Safety and Wellness Division is responsible for reviewing this policy as required to ensure that it remains accurate and relevant to the needs of UQ.

WIM is responsible for monitoring and reviewing every UQ employees’ compensation claim to ensure that appropriate return to work priorities are identified and met for each person.

5.0                Recording and Reporting

WIM is responsible for recording and reporting UQ’s compensation and work rehabilitation compliance and performance outcome data to the University Senior Executive Team (USET) and the Vice‑Chancellor’s Risk and Compliance Committee on a regular basis, and to the Workers’ Compensation Regulator as required under the Act.

6.0                Appendix

Relevant legislation

Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld)

Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014 (Qld)

Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)

Other policies

Medical Conditions Affecting Performance


[1] UQ is also committed to facilitating work rehabilitation for staff with non compensable injuries, as would be managed by an appropriate UQ appointee (e.g. HR) in consultation with the treating practitioner.

Custodians
Director, Health, Safety and Wellness Mr Jim Carmichael