When a worker is off with injury

How can you foster social connections, help wellbeing and aid recovery?

injured worker returning to the office

Did you know? 

Making the effort to ask a recovering worker about their wellbeing and wishing them a speedy recovery (within the first 48 hours), builds trust and can result in return to work outcomes.

Make contact within the first 48 hours

  • Contact your worker in the first two days they are away. Find out how they are and wish them a safe and speedy recovery. 
  • Why? This small gesture builds trust and can see around a 400 per cent improvement on return to work outcomes. Social support is also associated with decreased pain.

Set up a 'buddy system'

  • Ask your worker to identify a friendly colleague and ensure they have regular times to catch up for a phone call or coffee. 
  • Why? Keeping injured workers positively engaged is known to increase wellbeing and hasten recovery and return to work.

Schedule regular contact

  • Stay in contact and maintain engagement throughout their recovery process. 
  • Why? A worker recovering from injury who feels connected to their work colleagues is more likely to want to return to work. 

Invite them to work events

  • When appropriate, encourage recovering workers to attend social events at work.
  • Invite them to birthday, anniversary and regular celebratory events at work. 
  • Why? Feeling part of the team aids recovery. An injured worker who feels  valued will want to return to work quicker.

Encourage positive self-care

  • Recommend recovering workers seek  social and physical wellness outside of the office. This could be exercise, creative activities or even volunteering to help their local community. 
  • Why? Social commitments improve mood, increase wellbeing and aid recovery, speeding up return to work outcomes.

Offer list of community resources

  • icare has put together a list of community resources that may be useful when an injured worker, their friends, family or colleagues may require additional support.

Download community resources fact sheet PDF (0.5 MB)

Community Support Service

Getting back to work or moving on with your workers insurance claim can sometimes be difficult, and the reasons may not relate to your injury. icare has partnered with Uniting to deliver the Community Support Service.

It’s a unique service to help explore your options and get the best from government systems and community services. People injured at work can achieve their goals, reconnect to their community and rebuild their health and wellbeing.

It is free for injured workers and their families, if you have an open claim and liability has been accepted, and is available face-to-face or over the phone.

To find out more visit, ask your claims manager or contact Uniting on 13 47 15.