Safe Work Australia partially funded the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Work-Related Injuries, Australia, 2009–10 (WRIS) survey in using workers’ compensation claims data to measure work health and safety performance in Australia.
That survey collected information for the period from a sample of people aged 15 years and over who had worked in the previous 12 months and experienced a work-related injury or illness in that time. The November report does not cover all workplace injuries; instead it is restricted to employees, ie those worker who are entitled to workers’ compensation (excluding the self-employed who now make up over 6% of the workforce). An injury is counted in the WRIS survey if the worker felt it arose out of their employment. There is no requirement for the worker to seek medical attention for their injury as is the case with workers’ compensation.
Safe Work Australia indicates that 567,500 employees were injured while working during the period but only 38% received workers’ compensation (representing a slight decrease on the number of employees injured in 2005–06 and an increase on the 33% who were compensated). The number of employees who applied for workers’ compensation but did not receive it increased from 3.8% of injured employees in 2005–06 to 5.4% in 2009–10.
The report indicates that -
The amount of time taken off work following an injury impacted on whether the employee applied for workers’ compensation. The data showed that only 23% of injured employees who took no time off work applied for workers’ compensation compared with 73% of injured employees who took 5 or more days off work.Consistent with statisticcs for the US, Canada and UK employees born in countries that did not have English as its main language were less likely to apply for workers’ compensation compared (34%) with those born in Australia (44%) and those born in main English speaking countries (45%).
Male employees were more likely than female employees to receive workers’ compensation though the gap between the sexes has closed slightly in the four years since that last survey. In 2005–06, 38% of male employees received compensation which rose to 42% in 2009–10 while for female employees the proportion increased from 26% to 33%.
A greater proportion of female employees compared with male employees felt their injury was too minor to claim (32% and 28% respectively). A greater proportion of female employees also thought they were not covered for workers’ compensation or not eligible for it, 10% compared with 8% for male employees.
Age played only a small role in whether an employee received workers’ compensation or not. In 2009–10, 36% of injured employees in the 15–24 years age group received compensation compared with 41% in the 55 years and over age group. Similar patterns existed for both male and female employees.
Employees with leave entitlements were more likely than casuals (employees without leave entitlements) to receive compensation. In 2009–10, 48% of employees with leave entitlements received compensation compared with 32% of employees without leave entitlements. Employees without leave entitlements were more likely to think their injury was too minor to claim and more likely to think they were not covered by workers’ compensation.
Part-time employees were less likely to apply for compensation compared with full-time employees. Part-time shiftworkers were the least likely to apply for compensation of all employee groups.
Who was being injured? Work Safe Australia indicates that "labourers and machinery operators & drivers" were the occupation groups most likely to receive workers’ compensation. Managers and Clerical & administrative workers were the least likely to receive it. Injuries incurred in falls were the most likely to be compensated. Injuries from "Exposure to mental stress" were the least likely to be compensated. Bad news if you were bullied.
The report indicates that -
Sick leave was the most common type of financial assistance other than workers’ compensation accessed by injured employees. For injuries involving less than 5 days of work, 31% used sick leave. For injuries involving 5 or more days, 20% of injured employees used sick leave. Medicare or other social security payments were accessed by 7% of all injured employees. The data show that no financial assistance was received by 12% of employees who incurred injuries that involved 5 or more days off work.
