Protect Workcover for all Workers

The Andrews Labor Government has proposed changes to WorkCover reduces eligibility for workers compensation and kicks people with long-term injuries off the scheme exposing them to potential harm.

If these changes get through, workers won't be able to claim weekly payments if they are unable to attend work due to stress from excessive workload or inappropriate behaviour, or due to mental injuries developing over time.

Workers with long-term injury and disability will also be kicked off WorkCover payments if they can't meet an arbitrary "20.1% Whole Person Impairment" test. The guides for this test are not designed for assessing work capacity. They do not factor in individual circumstances, such as transferable skills, language skills, age, place of work. The AMA Guides themselves say: “It must be emphasised and clearly understood that impairment percentages derived according to the Guides criteria should not be used to make direct financial awards or direct estimates of disabilities”.