In some cases, a TAC client may sustain a permanent disability as a result of their transport accident.

There are many business benefits to employing people with a disability, and evidence shows* that employing people with a disability does not cost any more than employing people without disability.

The Australian Network on Disability (AND) lists five key benefits to hiring people with a disability.

• Attract and retain talent.
• Build your business reputation and brand.
• Improve your marketing and customer retention.
• Mitigate business risk.
• Recognise and uphold the rights of people with a disability.

*Graffam,J., Shinkfield, A., Smith,K., & Polzin, U. (1998). Making it work; Employer outcomes when employing a person with a disability. Melbourne; Institute of Disability Studies, Deakin University.

Accessing government support

If you are hiring someone with a disability, there are a range of government supports you may be eligible to access.

JobAccess provide free advice and support to help remove barriers to employing people with disability. This includes an advice service, employer engagement team, workplace modifications, support and training, and more.

Find out more at the JobAccess website.

Making reasonable adjustments

If you are aware of an employee’s disability, legally you must provide what is regarded 'reasonable adjustments' to accommodate the needs of your employee.

Reasonable adjustments let an employee with disability safely perform the essential requirements of their job.

More information about reasonable adjustments, including policy templates and checklists are available on the JobAccess website.

Ticket to work

Young people with disability want to work for similar reasons as everyone else.

But often they do not get the same career development and work experience opportunities while at school. This can set them back.

Ticket to Work has worked with over 2,000 employers who have provided career and work opportunities for students with disability.

https://tickettowork.org.au/resources/employers/

Your role

You provide the essential ingredient in the return to work process, the job!

This may be in the form of one or more of a:

• Full-time employment opportunity
• Part-time employment opportunity
• Casual employment opportunity
• Work trial opportunity: a short term trial role that helps build work readiness.

The TAC and a return to work specialist will discuss with you what supports are available to help a TAC client return to work in a new job.

These supports will vary according to both our client’s needs and your needs as an employer.

Your employee (the TAC client)

Our clients are encouraged to actively participate in the return to work process.

They will work with you (the employer), the TAC and their return to work specialist (if applicable) to ensure a safe and sustainable return to work. This includes:

• Working according to the agreed duties and hours in their return to work plan
• Regularly reviewing and discussing their recovery progress and work arrangements with you, their health professional and/or return to work specialist (if applicable).
• Raising any issues or concerns with you and their return to work specialist (if applicable)

The TAC

As part of the return to work process, the TAC will:

• Discuss return to work options with our client and their healthcare professionals
• Refer our client to a return to work specialist
• Discuss and agree to provide relevant supports as part of a return to work plan
• Liaise with all parties involved, including you, to support our client’s successful return to work.

Return to work specialists

If your new employee is working with a return to work specialist, they will plan a tailored return to work program that meets the needs of you and your new employee.

The return to work specialist may:

• Conduct a worksite assessment to determine an appropriate working environment and duties
• Assess and recommend any necessary workplace modifications or equipment
• Liaise with your new employee’s healthcare professionals to ensure hours and duties are appropriate
• Work with your occupational health and safety manager (if applicable)
• Develop a return to work plan and monitor your new employee’s progress
• Be the key contact in relation to the return to work plan

If your new employee has a return to work plan, you are still responsible for the usual elements of the employment relationship.

These include supervision, performance management, superannuation, industrial relations, human resources, standard equipment required for the role and all other WorkCover obligations.

Before your new employee begins work

1. Your employee’s return to work specialist will conduct a worksite assessment, including a productivity assessment. The initial wage subsidy will be agreed at this stage (if applicable).
2. The specialist will provide a report cleared by a medical practitioner that confirms your new employee’s duties, work hours, wage subsidies and any other recommendations (e.g. equipment needs).
3. The TAC will confirm the details of the return to work plan, WorkCover insurance and any subsidy payments

When your new employee starts

1. Your new employee will start work as per the return to work plan.
2. During the return to work plan you should pay your employee only for the hours they work.
3. In the case of wage subsidies, either you or your employee should send or email payslips to the TAC. This will ensure you are reimbursed the agreed wage subsidy (for hours worked) and help us calculate any partial income benefit to be paid to our client.
4. The return to work specialist will conduct regular reviews throughout the return to work plan and will provide progress reports to all parties detailing any changes in productivity, duties and hours to be worked.
5. There is no set time frame for a return to work plan, however it will normally run for a minimum of 12 weeks. The specialist will finalise the plan once the return to work goals are achieved and sustained.

The TAC can protect your WorkCover insurance premium if your employee is injured or re-injured during a TAC return to work program. This means:

• Your WorkCover premium is not affected in the event of a workplace injury during a return to work program
• The TAC will reimburse the WorkCover excess incurred as a result of any WorkCover claim.

The WorkCover insurance premium protection can be provided alone or together with the trial phase or graded wage subsidy.

Some exclusions apply to accessing this incentive. These include:

• Interstate employers (that is, outside Victoria)
• Employers who self-insure for WorkCover
• Employers covered by ComCare
• Where a WorkCover claim has not been accepted by the TAC’s WorkCover agent.

As part of your employee’s return to work plan, we may be able to reimburse you for a trial phase.

This is normally up to 4 weeks in duration and is designed to:

• Assist your employee to return to their pre-accident working hours and duties, or
• Trial a new role within the workplace
• Allow the return to work specialist to fine tune their recommendations, if necessary, before a graded return to work commences.

During the trial phase, the TAC will reimburse you 100% for the hours your employee works. The number of hours they work depends on a number of factors including:

• Their capacity for work
• The worksite assessment conducted by the return to work specialist, and
• Your business needs.

The return to work specialist will use the results of the trial phase to plan the next phase of the return to work plan with you and your employee.

In some circumstances you may not have any permanent work available, but may be able to offer a TAC client the opportunity to do a short term work trial (e.g. to cover annual leave or sick leave).

This provides a TAC client with an opportunity to build skills and experience in a new workplace.

During a short term work trial, the TAC will reimburse you an agreed wage subsidy. The return to work specialist supervises the program and the TAC client gains invaluable experience and potentially a current reference.

The work trial can also benefit you as an employer. You can:

• Benefit from the services of a suitably qualified worker
• Develop skills in a potential future employee, should longer term employment become available
• Receive wage subsidies from the TAC
• Receive WorkCover insurance premium protection during the trial.

The graded wage subsidy is designed to support your business financially, while your new employee resumes normal duties or becomes confident in a new role and reaches full productivity.

The graded wage subsidy forms part of an ongoing return to work plan. If it is required, the productivity of your new employee is established and the wage subsidy paid to you is based on their productivity while at work.

Productivity is identified by the return to work specialist in collaboration with you and your new employee.

For example, if your new employee is 70% productive in his/her required duties, the TAC will reimburse you 30% of the wage for the hours worked. The wage subsidy decreases as the employees’ productivity increases.

New employers may be eligible for a one off payment of up to $1,000 to assist with the administrative costs of supporting a TAC client to return to work.

Your TAC coordinator or return to work specialist can advise whether you are eligible for this payment, and how you can access it.

The TAC can consider paying the cost of reasonable workplace modifications or equipment that will assist your new employee to return to work safely.

To consider this, the return to work specialist will conduct a worksite assessment and make recommendations to the TAC for any equipment or modifications that are required.

If the TAC (or one of our return to work specialists) has organised the position with you, we will continue to work with you through the return to work process to ensure a safe and successful transition.

If a TAC client has applied for a job with you independently, please contact us so we can put supports in place for you and our client to ensure a safe and sustainable return to work.

In most circumstances, a person is fully fit for the duties required of them. If your new employee does have any restrictions, you will be made aware of these, however they would normally not impact on what is required of them in the role.

Depending on the length of time out of the workforce due to injury, the client may require a graded return to work. So, although they are cleared as fully fit to undertake the required duties, it may be recommended that they increase their work hours and/or work demands over a number of weeks.

As part of the employer incentive package, the TAC can consider paying a wage subsidy to compensate your business while you support your new employee in their return to work.

These subsidies will be developed with the help of a return to work specialist and will be agreed upon by all parties before any return to work program commences, so you know exactly what to expect.

Contact the TAC immediately to discuss the injury and the next steps.

Depending on the injury, the return to work program can be modified or suspended for a period, and/or a WorkCover claim form can be lodged. As an employer, you are given premium protection in the event of an accepted WorkCover claim during a TAC return to work program, regardless of the nature of the injury. In addition, the TAC will reimburse the WorkCover excess incurred as a result of that claim.

Where a WorkCover claim is lodged, the TAC’s insurer will assess the claim as per the normal processes.

It is expected that your new employee arrange any medical appointments outside of work time.

However if your new employee has to have time off work due to their accident injuries, they need to advise the TAC of this via a certificate of capacity, or a medical report from their treating practitioner.

If approved, the TAC can organise a reimbursement to you for the sick leave taken or pay the TAC client directly for the time they require off work.

When the return to work program is established, you will be provided with an email address or fax number where payslips must be sent.

Generally, payments will be received in your bank account within two business days, once the TAC income officer has received all the necessary paperwork and has processed the payment.

The return to work specialist will monitor your new employee for a minimum of 12 weeks once their return to work goal has been achieved. In some instances, a new employee may need support for a longer period. This can be negotiated between the return to work specialist, the TAC and any other relevant party involved in the return to work program (e.g. GP, occupational therapist).

If your new employee requires further support after the return to work specialist has ceased services, please contact your employee’s TAC coordinator. The coordinator can talk to you about available options to assist your employee in maintaining their employment.

In some cases, a TAC client may sustain a permanent disability as a result of their transport accident.

There are many business benefits to employing people with a disability, and evidence shows* that employing people with a disability does not cost any more than employing people without disability.

The Australian Network on Disability (AND) lists five key benefits to hiring people with a disability.

• Attract and retain talent.
• Build your business reputation and brand.
• Improve your marketing and customer retention.
• Mitigate business risk.
• Recognise and uphold the rights of people with a disability.

*Graffam,J., Shinkfield, A., Smith,K., & Polzin, U. (1998). Making it work; Employer outcomes when employing a person with a disability. Melbourne; Institute of Disability Studies, Deakin University.

Accessing government support

If you are hiring someone with a disability, there are a range of government supports you may be eligible to access.

JobAccess provide free advice and support to help remove barriers to employing people with disability. This includes an advice service, employer engagement team, workplace modifications, support and training, and more.

Find out more at the JobAccess website.

Making reasonable adjustments

If you are aware of an employee’s disability, legally you must provide what is regarded 'reasonable adjustments' to accommodate the needs of your employee.

Reasonable adjustments let an employee with disability safely perform the essential requirements of their job.

More information about reasonable adjustments, including policy templates and checklists are available on the JobAccess website.

Ticket to work

Young people with disability want to work for similar reasons as everyone else.

But often they do not get the same career development and work experience opportunities while at school. This can set them back.

Ticket to Work has worked with over 2,000 employers who have provided career and work opportunities for students with disability.

https://tickettowork.org.au/resources/employers/

Your role

You provide the essential ingredient in the return to work process, the job!

This may be in the form of one or more of a:

• Full-time employment opportunity
• Part-time employment opportunity
• Casual employment opportunity
• Work trial opportunity: a short term trial role that helps build work readiness.

The TAC and a return to work specialist will discuss with you what supports are available to help a TAC client return to work in a new job.

These supports will vary according to both our client’s needs and your needs as an employer.

Your employee (the TAC client)

Our clients are encouraged to actively participate in the return to work process.

They will work with you (the employer), the TAC and their return to work specialist (if applicable) to ensure a safe and sustainable return to work. This includes:

• Working according to the agreed duties and hours in their return to work plan
• Regularly reviewing and discussing their recovery progress and work arrangements with you, their health professional and/or return to work specialist (if applicable).
• Raising any issues or concerns with you and their return to work specialist (if applicable)

The TAC

As part of the return to work process, the TAC will:

• Discuss return to work options with our client and their healthcare professionals
• Refer our client to a return to work specialist
• Discuss and agree to provide relevant supports as part of a return to work plan
• Liaise with all parties involved, including you, to support our client’s successful return to work.

Return to work specialists

If your new employee is working with a return to work specialist, they will plan a tailored return to work program that meets the needs of you and your new employee.

The return to work specialist may:

• Conduct a worksite assessment to determine an appropriate working environment and duties
• Assess and recommend any necessary workplace modifications or equipment
• Liaise with your new employee’s healthcare professionals to ensure hours and duties are appropriate
• Work with your occupational health and safety manager (if applicable)
• Develop a return to work plan and monitor your new employee’s progress
• Be the key contact in relation to the return to work plan

If your new employee has a return to work plan, you are still responsible for the usual elements of the employment relationship.

These include supervision, performance management, superannuation, industrial relations, human resources, standard equipment required for the role and all other WorkCover obligations.

Before your new employee begins work

1. Your employee’s return to work specialist will conduct a worksite assessment, including a productivity assessment. The initial wage subsidy will be agreed at this stage (if applicable).
2. The specialist will provide a report cleared by a medical practitioner that confirms your new employee’s duties, work hours, wage subsidies and any other recommendations (e.g. equipment needs).
3. The TAC will confirm the details of the return to work plan, WorkCover insurance and any subsidy payments

When your new employee starts

1. Your new employee will start work as per the return to work plan.
2. During the return to work plan you should pay your employee only for the hours they work.
3. In the case of wage subsidies, either you or your employee should send or email payslips to the TAC. This will ensure you are reimbursed the agreed wage subsidy (for hours worked) and help us calculate any partial income benefit to be paid to our client.
4. The return to work specialist will conduct regular reviews throughout the return to work plan and will provide progress reports to all parties detailing any changes in productivity, duties and hours to be worked.
5. There is no set time frame for a return to work plan, however it will normally run for a minimum of 12 weeks. The specialist will finalise the plan once the return to work goals are achieved and sustained.

The TAC can protect your WorkCover insurance premium if your employee is injured or re-injured during a TAC return to work program. This means:

• Your WorkCover premium is not affected in the event of a workplace injury during a return to work program
• The TAC will reimburse the WorkCover excess incurred as a result of any WorkCover claim.

The WorkCover insurance premium protection can be provided alone or together with the trial phase or graded wage subsidy.

Some exclusions apply to accessing this incentive. These include:

• Interstate employers (that is, outside Victoria)
• Employers who self-insure for WorkCover
• Employers covered by ComCare
• Where a WorkCover claim has not been accepted by the TAC’s WorkCover agent.

As part of your employee’s return to work plan, we may be able to reimburse you for a trial phase.

This is normally up to 4 weeks in duration and is designed to:

• Assist your employee to return to their pre-accident working hours and duties, or
• Trial a new role within the workplace
• Allow the return to work specialist to fine tune their recommendations, if necessary, before a graded return to work commences.

During the trial phase, the TAC will reimburse you 100% for the hours your employee works. The number of hours they work depends on a number of factors including:

• Their capacity for work
• The worksite assessment conducted by the return to work specialist, and
• Your business needs.

The return to work specialist will use the results of the trial phase to plan the next phase of the return to work plan with you and your employee.

In some circumstances you may not have any permanent work available, but may be able to offer a TAC client the opportunity to do a short term work trial (e.g. to cover annual leave or sick leave).

This provides a TAC client with an opportunity to build skills and experience in a new workplace.

During a short term work trial, the TAC will reimburse you an agreed wage subsidy. The return to work specialist supervises the program and the TAC client gains invaluable experience and potentially a current reference.

The work trial can also benefit you as an employer. You can:

• Benefit from the services of a suitably qualified worker
• Develop skills in a potential future employee, should longer term employment become available
• Receive wage subsidies from the TAC
• Receive WorkCover insurance premium protection during the trial.

The graded wage subsidy is designed to support your business financially, while your new employee resumes normal duties or becomes confident in a new role and reaches full productivity.

The graded wage subsidy forms part of an ongoing return to work plan. If it is required, the productivity of your new employee is established and the wage subsidy paid to you is based on their productivity while at work.

Productivity is identified by the return to work specialist in collaboration with you and your new employee.

For example, if your new employee is 70% productive in his/her required duties, the TAC will reimburse you 30% of the wage for the hours worked. The wage subsidy decreases as the employees’ productivity increases.

New employers may be eligible for a one off payment of up to $1,000 to assist with the administrative costs of supporting a TAC client to return to work.

Your TAC coordinator or return to work specialist can advise whether you are eligible for this payment, and how you can access it.

The TAC can consider paying the cost of reasonable workplace modifications or equipment that will assist your new employee to return to work safely.

To consider this, the return to work specialist will conduct a worksite assessment and make recommendations to the TAC for any equipment or modifications that are required.

If the TAC (or one of our return to work specialists) has organised the position with you, we will continue to work with you through the return to work process to ensure a safe and successful transition.

If a TAC client has applied for a job with you independently, please contact us so we can put supports in place for you and our client to ensure a safe and sustainable return to work.

In most circumstances, a person is fully fit for the duties required of them. If your new employee does have any restrictions, you will be made aware of these, however they would normally not impact on what is required of them in the role.

Depending on the length of time out of the workforce due to injury, the client may require a graded return to work. So, although they are cleared as fully fit to undertake the required duties, it may be recommended that they increase their work hours and/or work demands over a number of weeks.

As part of the employer incentive package, the TAC can consider paying a wage subsidy to compensate your business while you support your new employee in their return to work.

These subsidies will be developed with the help of a return to work specialist and will be agreed upon by all parties before any return to work program commences, so you know exactly what to expect.

Contact the TAC immediately to discuss the injury and the next steps.

Depending on the injury, the return to work program can be modified or suspended for a period, and/or a WorkCover claim form can be lodged. As an employer, you are given premium protection in the event of an accepted WorkCover claim during a TAC return to work program, regardless of the nature of the injury. In addition, the TAC will reimburse the WorkCover excess incurred as a result of that claim.

Where a WorkCover claim is lodged, the TAC’s insurer will assess the claim as per the normal processes.

It is expected that your new employee arrange any medical appointments outside of work time.

However if your new employee has to have time off work due to their accident injuries, they need to advise the TAC of this via a certificate of capacity, or a medical report from their treating practitioner.

If approved, the TAC can organise a reimbursement to you for the sick leave taken or pay the TAC client directly for the time they require off work.

When the return to work program is established, you will be provided with an email address or fax number where payslips must be sent.

Generally, payments will be received in your bank account within two business days, once the TAC income officer has received all the necessary paperwork and has processed the payment.

The return to work specialist will monitor your new employee for a minimum of 12 weeks once their return to work goal has been achieved. In some instances, a new employee may need support for a longer period. This can be negotiated between the return to work specialist, the TAC and any other relevant party involved in the return to work program (e.g. GP, occupational therapist).

If your new employee requires further support after the return to work specialist has ceased services, please contact your employee’s TAC coordinator. The coordinator can talk to you about available options to assist your employee in maintaining their employment.