News

New changes to workers’ compensation laws commenced on 23 August 2024, impacting the rights and responsibilities of workers, employers, insurers, and rehabilitation and return-to-work providers.

What has changed?

The Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Amendment Act) commenced on 23 August 2024.

The Amendment Act amends the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 and the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014 to give effect to the accepted legislative recommendations of the 2023 review of the operation of the Queensland workers’ compensation scheme.

The changes now in effect impact employers, insurers, workers and other duty holders and include:

• strengthening rehabilitation and return to work (RRTW) processes by
  • requiring insurers to have a written RRTW plan in place within 10 business days of a claim being accepted
  • giving injured workers the right to request a different workplace rehabilitation provider if dissatisfied with the provider selected by their insurer
  • introducing a new obligation on host employers to cooperate with labour-hire providers to fulfil their RRTW obligations.
• increasing early intervention for physical injury claims to minimise the risk of an injured worker developing a secondary psychological injury
• new obligations on insurers and employers to facilitate the prompt payment of weekly compensation to injured workers who have an accepted claim
• expanding the compliance and enforcement tools available to the Workers’ Compensation Regulator
• providing greater support for firefighters by expanding the list of diseases presumed to be work-related (including new female cancers).

Further changes will commence at a future date (yet to be determined). These changes relate to covering gig workers, providing worker/employer scheme information statements, a framework for medical specialists undertaking permanent impairment assessments in the scheme, and standards for Workplace Rehabilitation Providers.

More information

Legislation update