Helping labour hire workers return to work sooner

Labour hire is an essential and growing part of the South Australian economy, however return to work outcomes for labour hire workers are poorer than those for workers directly employed.

This has the potential to make labour hire more expensive through increased work injury insurance premiums. Returning to work is also good for people and their recovery, so it is important that return to work outcomes for labour hire workers are improved.

ReturnToWorkSA has been talking to labour hire and host employers about ways to address barriers to return to work, and to help get labour hire workers back to work as soon as possible, either with the pre-injury host employer or another host employer.

Benefits for labour hire companies

For one labour hire company, working together with their host employers resulted in a A$65,000 reduction in income support costs paid over the year compared to the same period in the previous year, resulting in a clear saving on the following year’s premium. It is expected that further reductions in income support costs and premiums will be made as the relationships between the labour hire company and host employers continue to develop.

Benefits for host employers

The benefits for the host employer include the retention of skilled, trained workers thereby avoiding additional training costs for newly placed staff.   Returning a labour hire worker to work following injury will also reduce the amount of third party recovery settlement payments should the injury be found to be caused by an act or omission of the host employer.

How can return to work coordinators help?

Successful strategies involve the labour hire and host employer return to work coordinators working together to ensure that injured labour hire workers return to work with the host employer as soon as possible, including:

• Before an injury occurs, the labour hire and host employer return to work coordinators identify alternative duties that could be used to support the most common injuries experienced at that workplace e.g tasks that don’t involve lifting for shoulder or back injuries, or work away from customer service where this is the cause of mental stress.
• Host employer return to work coordinator is involved in the return to work planning discussions with the labour hire mobile claims agent, the treating doctor and physiotherapist.
• Engaging with the Host Supervisor or Manager when a return to work coordinator is not required to be appointed and providing guidance around return to work support.

How can labour hire employers help?

• Consider offering reduced rates while a worker gradually returns to pre-injury tasks.
• Actively seek contracts with lighter level duties that can be done by workers with restrictions and use these contracts as return to work pathways

For more information

If you are a labour hire return to work coordinator who would like to talk about ways that you can work more closely with your host employers, or a host employer return to work coordinator who would like to know how you can support people to support return to work, please contact the Employer Education Advisory team on  8238 5958 or email coordinators@rtwsa.com