Return to work goals
Returning to work is an important part of your treatment and rehabilitation from injury. You can play an active role in the planning of your return to work.
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Key takeaways
- To promote recovery, your employer, treating parties, rehabilitation consultant and insurer will assist with your return to work in the most efficient and safe way possible.
- Identifying suitable duties, making a gradual return to work and setting return to work goals can help streamline your return to work.
Identifying suitable duties
Your employer has an obligation to provide you with suitable work duties in order to promote your recovery at work. For most workers, they will aim to return to their pre-injury role with the same employer.
If that is not possible due to your workplace injury, alternative duties can be offered such as:
- Modified duties: your pre-injury role with changes or restrictions (could be reduced hours or days).
- Suitable duties: work at the same employer that meets your capacity, skills and considers any medical restrictions from your nominated treating doctor (NTD).
- Or if your NTD states you are unable to return to your pre-injury employer, you may start the progression to new employment.
Gradually returning to work
A gradual return to work program will assist you in returning to your workplace. In most cases, you do not need to be fully recovered before returning to work.
A gradual return to work plan lets you take recovery at your own pace and based on your NTD recommendations. A gradual return to work also increases your chance of maintaining a productive and positive re-entry into your workplace after your injury.
Back to top ⇡Return to work goals
The different return to work goals are:
- Working same employer/full work capacity: working with your same employer with full work capacity in your pre-injury employment.
- Working same employer/current work capacity: working with your same employer in employment for which you are currently suited, but not your pre-injury employment due reduced capacity.
- Working different employer/full work capacity: Working with a different employer with full work capacity and assessed work capacity as pre-injury employment status.
- Working different employer/current work capacity: working with a different employer in work which you are currently suited but not in pre-injury employment due to a reduced capacity.
- Not working/no current work capacity: when you are not working and have no current work capacity.
- Not working/has current work capacity: when you are not working but have current work capacity.
