Our original Candid Conversations series is back, presenting another intriguing topic that has inspired deeper discussions and new insights.
This time we dived into the world of workers' compensation on farm. Due to the topic's complexity, we knew our special guest had to be none other than Hedy Babi from Insync Workplace Solutions.
Hedy was joined by Hannah and Abigail of Safe Ag Systems, as she shared her expertise on what agribusinesses and workers need to be aware of.
Hedy is a qualified injury management professional with a legal background of over 30 years. She assists her clients with workers' compensation and return-to-work coordination. Understanding that workers' compensation tends to be a scary and complex area for employers, Hedy was keen to help our community out.
Before diving in, let’s start with understanding where agriculture stands with workers' compensation.
From 2022 to 2023, Safe Work Australia reported 139,002 workers' compensation claims across all industries.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing made up 3,767 of those claims.
You may wonder why we’re even mentioning that when it only accounts for 2.7% of claims in that period?
Well, let's look at it from another angle. The frequency rate of claims by Agriuclture, forestry and fishing sits at a whopping 11.3 claims per million hours worked. A striking contrast compared to the second-highest claim rate of 9.9 in public administration and safety.
Agriculture continues to outdo others with its frequency rate, due to the long hours and amount of hazards and risks associated with agriculture daily. Even with a significant amount of underreporting in Agriculture.
Workers' compensation is a mandatory insurance policy that all Australian employers must have. This insurance covers their workers in case of a work-related injury or illness that requires time off or light duties.
Agriculture is no different. As a farmer with employees, you're their employer. This means that you're responsible for providing workers' compensation. No matter the size of your farming operation.
However, were you aware that all Australian states and territories differ in the scheme and compensation they offer? The regulator or authority that handles each claim is different in each jurisdiction. If your farming operations span across Australia, you need to be mindful of the different insurance policies for workers' compensation.
Not having a workers' compensation policy in place may open up your farm to financial penalties.
Let's say a worker injures themselves on farm - what could they receive under the policy?
The main purpose of workers' compensation is to provide financial support to that employee. These can be in the form of:
Weekly payments if off-work
Medical and similar expenses
Rehabilitation services
Lump sum for pernamanet inpariement
Funeral expenses and payments for dependents
As mentioned earlier, employers must follow the laws in each state and territory they work in, including knowing the rules for reporting injuries and making claims.
Farming businesses should be mindful of the timeframes for injury reporting and the duration workers have to submit a claim. Required documentation may also vary across the country.
Whether the injury seems minor or not, it's best practice to report the near miss or incident in your safety system or register of injuries. If the incident, injury or illness is classified as a 'notifiable incident' then you must contact your WHS regulator immediately.
Understand whether you need any specific injury management documents for reporting in place. Hedy has kindly written relevant procedures within Safe Ag Systems for this purpose.
Other jurisdictions may require you to have a dedicated resource for managing the workers' compensation, injury management process and return to work plan. This is typically a return-to-work coordinator and is dependent on the size of your business.
However, for most farming businesses the supervisor or manager will be responsible for developing the employees' return to work plan.
While the process of losing a claim may be different, the injury management process is genuinely the same Australia-wide.
To help breakdown the process Hedy has provided us with the following steps to take if a worker gets injured on your farm:
Arrange treatment straight away. Early intervention provides a better outcome.
Immediate reporting is critical. Report the injury internally straight away through your safety system or reporting process.
Notify your claims agents as required within timeframes.
Determine if your employee wants to make a claim and give them access to the required paperwork. Provide assistance if needed to submit the claim.
Be aware that employees have a choice whether they want to submit a claim or not.
The aim is to ensure a safe and sustainable return to work. Facilitate and monitor their recovery and provide them with suitable duties.
Work with your claims agent/insurer and seek assistance if required.
Navigating workers' compensation doesn't have to be daunting or overly complex. The primary goal is to financially support employees during their time away from work and then assist them in smoothly transitioning back into their role.
To learn more from Hedy, Abigail and Hannah continue watching our webinar below.
Topic: Candid Conversations
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