Recovery at work insider - May 2024

28 May 2024

Welcome to Recovery at work insider. This monthly email is designed for employers, workplace rehabilitation providers and other stakeholders who support recovery through work. You can view previous editions on the SIRA website.

Each issue deep dives into a different recovery at work topic. This month we talk about why early intervention is so important to support positive recovery through work outcomes.

Why is early intervention so important to a worker's recovery?

When a worker experiences an injury in the workplace, there are many factors that influence their recovery and return to work (RTW) outcomes. These include:

• personal factors including beliefs about pain and injury, recovery expectations, self-efficacy
• workplace factors including relationship with employer, size of employer and availability of suitable work, perceived injustice
• insurance and system factors including relationship with the insurer
• health care factors including work/outcome focused treatment.

People with similar injuries may have different outcomes due to these various factors and how they interact to impact recovery.

Employers should look for risk factors for delayed recover early, this assists to:

• identify the type and extent of support a worker might need
• plan a worker’s recovery and return to work
• avoid unnecessary delays and significantly improve recovery and RTW outcomes.

From the evidence

Many factors influencing recovery and return to work are known and modifiable if identified and addressed early.

Positive recovery and return to work outcomes are achieved when:

• actions and supports are matched to identified risks
• a coordinated plan and approach is developed and implemented across the four domains (personal, workplace, insurance and healthcare)
• risks and progress are reviewed regularly¹.

What you can do

Ensure those involved in supporting a worker’s recovery know the risk factors for delayed recovery. They should also be equipped to use this information to effectively support a person’s recovery and optimise RTW outcomes. Ideas to support a worker include:

• talk openly with your worker about their recovery. Provide information to assist them to take an active role in their recovery, express their thoughts, concerns, and preferences, and participate in decisions that affect them
• use the information about the factors influencing return to work outcomes to help you identify risk factors for delayed recovery (see Resources and tools)
• talk to your insurer about identified risk factors to support planning.

Resources and tools

• Factors influencing return to work outcomes

Next edition

Our June edition will look at the importance of early intervention with a coordinated and collaborative approach.

References

1. Collie, A., Lane, T., Di Donato, M. and Iles, R. August 2018. Barriers and enablers to RTW: literature review. Insurance Work and Health Group, Monash University: Melbourne, Australia.

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