Injury Management and Return to Work Insurance

When an employee is injured or absent for an extended period, the period that follows is rarely simple. There are statutory obligations to meet, an insurer to engage, treating practitioners to coordinate with and a return-to-work plan to design and manage. Handled well, that work supports the individual and the business. Handled poorly, it can extend an absence and add pressure on both sides.

Injury management and return to work is the support and advisory capability that sits across that period. It is a service rather than an insurance policy, and it connects to workers compensation and the employer’s obligations. The work involves planning a safe and sustainable return, managing the absence, coordinating with insurers and treating practitioners, and supporting the employer through its obligations across the duration of the claim.

DKG is an advisory-led general insurance broker with specialist Life and People Risk capability. We help connect injury management and return to work with your workers compensation arrangement and the rest of your people-risk programme. We support the process and help coordinate the parties, and we are clear about its limits. It does not change statutory entitlements, and we do not promise a reduction in premium, in lost time or in the duration of a claim.

What are the benefits?

• Support for a safe, structured and sustainable return to work after injury or illness.
• Help to coordinate the parties involved, including the insurer, treating practitioners and the employer.
• Absence management support across the duration of a claim.
• A connection between the return-to-work process, the workers compensation arrangement and the wider people-risk programme.
• Support for the employer in meeting its obligations through the claim.
• An adviser who keeps the process coordinated and the employer informed.

What can it cover?

Injury management and return to work is a service and advisory capability rather than a policy, so it provides support rather than a benefit under a policy wording. In general terms, it can support:

• Return-to-work planning designed around the individual, the role and the medical guidance.
• Absence management across the duration of an injury or illness.
• Coordination with insurers and treating practitioners.
• Employer-obligation support across the claim, connected to the workers compensation arrangement.

The scope of support depends on the matter and the workers compensation scheme that applies. We work through what is needed with you as the claim develops.

What usually isn’t covered?

This is a support capability, not an insurance policy, so the usual cover-and-exclusion framing does not apply. It is more useful to be clear about what it does not do. In general terms, injury management and return to work does not:

• Change the statutory entitlements set by the relevant workers compensation scheme.
• Guarantee a reduction in premium, in lost time or in the duration of a claim.
• Replace the role of the insurer, the treating practitioners or the regulator.
• Provide medical treatment or clinical advice.

Statutory entitlements are set by the relevant scheme, and outcomes are determined by the insurer, the medical evidence and the scheme rules. We support and coordinate the process, and we make no representation as to the outcome.

How DKG supports you

We help connect injury management and return to work with your workers compensation arrangement and the wider people-risk programme. We support return-to-work planning, help coordinate the insurer and treating practitioners, and support you in meeting your obligations across the claim. Where an Employee Assistance Program is in place, we help connect it to the return-to-work process.

This work sits close to claims, and our role is to support and coordinate, not to control the outcome. We keep you informed through the process and help manage insurer engagement. Statutory entitlements and claim outcomes are determined by the scheme, the insurer and the medical evidence, and we make no representation as to results, including any change in premium or lost time.

DKG’s Life and People Risk practice is led by Marnie Maloney, Head of Life and People Risk. She brings more than 20 years of experience in life insurance and financial advice, with deep expertise across personal risk advice, business succession planning and corporate protection. To review your injury management and return-to-work approach, contact Marnie via email or phone on 1800 252 926.

Related services

• Workers Compensation Insurance
• Corporate Health Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme

Other cover may be considered and additional exclusions may apply.

The information provided is general advice only and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. When making decisions about injury management and return to work insurance, please consider the Product Disclosure Statement.