During our audits / coaching / mentoring sessions we have noted numerous times organisations not aware and / or have not updated their processes to reflect the updated legislation associated with Workers Compensation in WA.
The commencement date for the updated Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 and Workers Compensation and Injury Management Regulations 2024 was proclaimed as 1st July 2024. The Act is the culmination of an extensive reviews and consultation process over several years.
Note: You must provide workers’ compensation for anyone you employ who the legislation defines as a ‘worker’, including cover for claims at common law.
Changes include:
- Doubling the medical and health expenses limit.
- Extending the point at which workers’ weekly compensation payments step down.
- Weekly rate of income calculated changes
- Covering workers catastrophically injured in workplace accidents under the Catastrophic Injuries Support Scheme.
- Exclusion of stress-related claims which result from various reasonable administrative actions (mostly disciplinary).
- Increasing the time required for an employer to give the worker’s claim to their insurer from five days to within seven days.
Other changes can be viewed here https://www.workcover.wa.gov.au/resources/legislation-rules-amendments/recent-legislative-amendments/
WorkCover WA has finalised the Regulations and Administrative Instruments to support the new Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023.
You can access the new legislation below:
https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/law_a147404_subsidiary.html