Workers' Compensation in the ACT
Workers’ compensation insurance is the safety net that protects workers when they are at their most vulnerable. It exists to cover their medical and rehabilitation expenses, replace income so they can continue to provide for themselves and their families, compensate those who suffer permanent impairment from work, and support the families of workers killed at work. It protects and supports workers to return to work following a workplace injury or illness.
All employers in the ACT must have an active workers’ compensation insurance policy. The ACT’s Work Health and Safety Commissioner, Jacqueline Agius, is taking the opportunity during Safe Work Month to make clear the importance of all employers understanding and meeting their workers’ compensation obligations.
“Work related injury or illness is preventable but tragic when it eventuates. And for that worker to then find out their employer doesn’t have workers’ compensation is an insult.
“As the Regulator, the message I want to send to employers is clear: If you do not hold an active workers’ compensation policy, you will face regulatory action, including infringement notices and premium recoveries. WorkSafe ACT is able and does seek to recover double the amount of premium that was due.”
WorkSafe ACT’s dedicated team of inspectors actively investigate employee complaints and are proactively out in the community auditing businesses to assess compliance.
For the 2022-23 financial year, our inspectors issued 19 premium recoveries to the total value of $586,884. Inspectors also issued 21 infringement notices to non-compliant businesses to the value of $81,600.
Premium recovery is backdated for the entire time a business was without a workers’ compensation policy, and the fines can be up to double the amount of avoided premium. This money goes to the Default Insurance Fund, which provides coverage to injured workers whose employers did not hold a valid policy.
Jacqueline Agius urges all ACT businesses to check their coverage.
“No matter how long an employer has avoided paying for a policy, when they are caught, it will always have been cheaper to have had a workers’ compensation insurance policy in place. Given the fines and premium recoveries amounts payable, it’s not worth the risk.”
Statement ends.
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