If you can provide employment for an injured worker who is unable to return to their pre-injury employer, but who has a capacity to work, you may be eligible for a financial incentive and other benefits under RISE, WorkCover’s Re-employment Incentive Scheme.

Businesses that provide suitable full-time, part-time or casual positions for rehabilitated workers receive many benefits, including:

• financial incentives including gross wage subsidies of up to 75% of gross wages paid for the first three months of employment
• a subsidy of 40% of gross wages paid for the second three months of employment
• a retention bonus of 10% (to a maximum of $2,000) if the placement continues beyond 12 months
• protection from the liability to pay the first two weeks of absence from work as a result of an aggravation of the previous injury to South Australian employers.

Incentive payments to an employer are made monthly in arrears. A copy of wage records or other documentation that can verify wages have been paid to the worker must accompany the monthly wage return form when seeking reimbursement.

Forms

Re-employment incentive approval request for a re-employment placement [44KB]

Re-employment incentive monthly wage return [38KB]

Re-employment incentive placement agreement [47KB]

RISE pamphlet [363KB]

For information, contact WorkCover’s RISE coordinator via email on rise-support@workcover.com or by phone on 13 18 55.

WorkCover's Bonus/Penalty Scheme considers the claims experience of individual employers and, for many, provides lower levy rates.

Employers who maintain lower claims costs by putting safe work practices in place and providing suitable employment for injured worker may achieve lower levy rates.

Important note: The WorkCoverSA Board has determined to continue the Bonus/ Penalty Scheme only until 30 June 2010 whilst consideration is given to whether to design and implement a replacement scheme. Advance notice of any replacement scheme will be provided to employers.

WorkCover may change or vary the detailed rules of the current scheme during the year to assist the transition to any new scheme.

Criteria

To be automatically included in the scheme, two complete financial years of claims experience is required. Often this will depend upon the commencement date and size of the business. Be aware that if you acquire a new business or carry on an existing business you inherit the claims history of the previous owner. This means your levy rate may be affected by the claims costs of a previous employer. Changes to employer registration will be examined for application of succession rules.

Return to work

Injured workers are protected from dismissal by their employer under the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1986. WorkCover imposes a supplementary levy on employers for failing to retain or re-employ injured workers. Contact us to make an enquiry if you have any questions regarding this issue.

A brochure on the Bonus Penalty Scheme is available for download:

A guide to the 2009-10 Bonus/Penalty Scheme [484 KB]

WorkCover is undertaking a review of the total levy function, including the SafeWork Incentive for Large Employers. As a result, the WorkCoverSA Board has determined to continue the existing Safe Work Incentive scheme only until July 2010, whilst consideration is given whether to design and implement a replacement scheme. This means eligible employers will only be offered a one (1) year agreement to participate in the Safework Incentive for Large Employers from 1 July 2009.

The program is designed to provide larger employers, who are successful in achieving full conformance with the Safety Achiever Business System (SABS) Standards with the potential of earning a bonus or incurring a penalty of up to 50% measured by the costs of all claims.

For information on criteria see the brochures below:

A guide to the 2009-10 SafeWork Incentive for Large Employers [85 KB]
A guide to the 2008-09 SafeWork Incentive for Large Employers [466 KB]

The WorkCover Safety Achiever Business System (SABS) promotes a business management systems approach to occupational health, safety and welfare (OHSW) and injury management. To be eligible for SABS, employers need to be currently registered with WorkCoverSA and remain registered up to 30 June 2010 and pay a base industry levy (ie, levy payable at industry rates prior to any bonus or penalty, GST or other adjustment) of $100,000 or more in the 2008-09 financial year.

The SABS standards enable employers to develop management systems capable of providing:

• flexibility in developing and implementing strategies to reduce risk and generate fewer and less severe injuries and lower claims costs
• integration of OHSW and injury management systems with the core functions of the organisation
• assurance that a high level of performance is being maintained with a focus on continuous improvement

Compliance with the standards should:

• provide a framework that allows management to meet legislative responsibilities for OHSW and injury management
• reduce the cost, duration and severity of workers compensation claims
• help employers contribute to a reduction in the overall number and cost of work related injuries, disease and fatalities in workplaces.

The SABS Standards do not replace legislative requirements or relieve organisations from the responsibility of complying with those requirements.  Applications to register for SABS has closed and therefore WorkCover will not be in a position to accept any further applications from employers to register for SABS.

WorkCover has determined not to continue with its current Bonus Penalty Scheme including the SafeWork Incentive for Large Employers program beyond 1 July 2010. This means that if your organisation has registered for the SABS Program (2009-10) it will not get access to SWI for the financial year commencing 1 July 2010 onwards.

WorkCover is currently reviewing its incentive programs. As part of the review WorkCover has issued a consultation paper seeking feedback from stakeholders. Feedback will be considered before a decision is made in relation to any new incentive scheme. It is however likely that the SABS program will be abolished during 2010-11.

More information relating to the SafeWork Incentive for Large Employers program can be found here.

A range of documented evaluation practices and guidance materials can be found below.

Safety Achiever Business System OHS&W and injury management audit [419KB]  
Safety Achiever Business System OHS&W and injury management standards [164KB]
Safety Achiever Business System practice guidelines [405KB]