In March of 2024 the Victorian Government introduced changes to the WorkCover scheme in an attempt to modernize the scheme. In reality, these changes just make it harder for injured workers to get the support they need to get better and get back to work.
There are major changes to compensability for mental injuries. Stress and burnout from events that are considered ‘regular’ and ‘typical’ is no longer covered. A mental injury must have arisen predominantly in the course of employment, as the ‘significant contributing factor’ test no longer applies. To receive compensation for a mental injury, it must cause ‘significant’ behavioral, cognitive or psychological dysfunction. All of this in an attempt to reduce the cost of mental injuries to the scheme, with mental injuries currently accounting for 16% of claims, expected to rise 3.5% annually.
There is also a new test for long-term compensation, the Whole Person Impairment test. For injured workers to be able to access support beyond 130 weeks, they need to be assessed as having a whole person impairment of above 20% (the WPI test separates physical and psychological injuries, and unless an injured worker has a physical and psychological injury that occurred from the same incident, they cannot be considered in the overall WPI assessment).
When you’re injured at work, you deserve to get the help you need to get better and go back to work. Victorian Unions will always fight to protect injured workers.
Your stories are the most powerful change-making tool we have. We want to hear about how these changes have impacted you, your co-workers and loved ones. Share your story to help us make change.