Occupational Rehabilitation Programs
What is an occupational rehabilitation program?
It's the written outline of the way you will manage injuries in your workplace and sets out the assistance available to help injured workers remain or return to work.
How do I establish an occupational rehabilitation program
If you haven't developed a program before, these steps will help you get started:
- Gain commitment from senior management
- Identify a liaison person or appoint a working party to be responsible for developing your program.
- Develop a draft program in consultation with the relevant people
- Circulate the draft to interested parties (e.g. safety committee, managers, workers, reps etc)
- Negotiate any changes
- Submit the final draft
- Establish a regular review process
- Give the program to your workforce
- Promote the program
Developing an occupational rehabilitation program
Return to work policy
Your return to work policy details the agreed commitments of your workplace, and the actions you'll take to assist injured workers to stay or return to work.
How do I develop a return to work policy?
Your policy is developed as a part of your occupational rehabilitation program. The details of how you will deal with work related injuries is a matter for you to decide in conjunction with your workers.
What are the key commitments of a return to work policy?
Proven workplace commitments that promote return to work include early, appropriate intervention following report of an injury; and management commitment to keeping injured workers at work, with agreed actions that support this. You can use the commitments listed below to build on your minimum legal obligations and promote good work practices.
- the return to work process will begin as soon as possible (consistent with medical advice)
- staying at or returning to work is a normal workplace expectation
- treatment, return to work activities and any reasonable treatment will begin immediately, or as soon as is necessary to ensure the earliest possible return to work
- suitable employment, including modified or alternative duties (consistent with medical advice) is made available
- an individual return to work plan is established with any worker who has an incapacity for work for 20 days or more; the plan should be developed as soon as it appears that an absence of 20 days or more is likely
- consultation with all workers and/or worker representatives will occur where appropriate
- confidentiality of information obtained about the worker during their return to work or while undertaking any rehabilitation will be maintained
- participation in a return to work plan will not, of itself, prejudice an injured worker.
Return to work co-ordinator
Your return to work co-ordinator is a key person in the return to work process. It's them who sets return to work in motion following an injury and acts to ensure your occupational rehabilitation program and return to work policy are implemented.
What does my return to work co-ordinator have to do?
By law, your return to work co-ordinator must:assist your injured workers, where practicable, to remain at or return to work as soon as possible
- liaise with any parties involved in the occupational rehabilitation of, or provision of services, to your injured worker
- monitor your injured worker's progress
- take steps, so far as is practicable, to prevent recurrence or aggravation of the worker's injury upon the worker's return to work
- assist in meeting the legal requirements regarding risk management, occupational rehabilitation and return to work.
Additional information on the role of the return to work co-ordinator is contained in "The Return to Work Guide for Victorian Employers"
Further information
• Checklist for large employers (PDF)
• Checklist for large employers (Word)
• Checklist for small employers (PDF)
• Checklist for small employers (Word)
• Risk management and occupational rehabilitation programs (PDF)
• Risk management and occupational rehabilitation programs (Word)
• Return to Work Guide for Victorian Employers
