Sciaccas Lawyers

In the current economic client, many workers’ are finding themselves under increasing pressure from their employers to meet heavier and heavier workloads, whilst at the same time having less resources and support available to do so. It is therefore hardly surprising that workers’ compensation claims involving workplace stress are on the rise. In fact, recent figures published by Safe Work Australia suggest that 95% of workers’ compensation claims for psychiatric injuries, in Australia, involve elements of work related stress.[1] This raises the question of in what particular circumstances a worker’s compensation claim based on workplace stress will be accepted?

The simple answer to this is, you should never sign anything unless you have read the document and agree with its contents.

WorkCover is the main insurer for injured workers in Queensland. WorkCover has the majority of policies for employers in Queensland but there are a small number of self-insurers.

In recent years we have seen a significant increase in the number of Police Officers medically retired by the Queensland Police Service (QPS). The majority of those medical retirements have been initiated by the QPS in circumstances where the officer is suffering from symptoms which preclude them returning to first response policing.

Whereas previously officers who were not capable of returning to first response were accommodated within the QPS in alternate roles in recruitment, communications etc these opportunities no longer seem to be available.

Officers should be aware that if they are medically retired they have an entitlement to access Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) benefits pursuant to their QSuper policy.

A case study of a recent decision by the Workers Compensation Regulator to accept a police officer’s sporting injury as a compensable injury under section 32 of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld).