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To: Minister Danny Pearson
Minister Danny Pearson, stand up for WorkCover!
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The Andrews Labor Government has proposed changes to WorkCover that would reduce eligibility for workers compensation and kick people with long-term injuries off the scheme.
Under the changes, workers won't be able to claim weekly payments if they are unable to attend work due to stress from excessive workload or inappropriate behaviour, or due to mental injuries developing over time.
Workers with long-term injury and disability will also be kicked off WorkCover payments if they can't meet an arbitrary "20.1% Whole Person Impairment" test. The guides for this test are not designed for assessing work capacity. They do not factor in individual circumstances, such as transferable skills, language skills, age, place of work. The AMA Guides themselves say: “It must be emphasised and clearly understood that impairment percentages derived according to the Guides criteria should not be used to make direct financial awards or direct estimates of disabilities”.
Under the changes, workers won't be able to claim weekly payments if they are unable to attend work due to stress from excessive workload or inappropriate behaviour, or due to mental injuries developing over time.
Workers with long-term injury and disability will also be kicked off WorkCover payments if they can't meet an arbitrary "20.1% Whole Person Impairment" test. The guides for this test are not designed for assessing work capacity. They do not factor in individual circumstances, such as transferable skills, language skills, age, place of work. The AMA Guides themselves say: “It must be emphasised and clearly understood that impairment percentages derived according to the Guides criteria should not be used to make direct financial awards or direct estimates of disabilities”.
Why is this important?
These changes to WorkCover are designed to make it more difficult for injured workers to claim compensation, and that is unacceptable. The Government must listen to injured workers - not accountants - to make WorkCover work for everyone.