Baw Baw leads in returning to work
Baw Baw Shire Council has won a WorkSafe award in the category of leading return to work practice by an employer.
Council’s people and culture team won the award for its supportive and proactive approach to managing injuries and illness in the workplace through two return to work programs - early intervention program and supported work program.
The programs are designed to provide immediate assistance to staff for both work-related and non-work-related injury or illness.
In the event of a work-related injury or illness, team members can take part in an early intervention program, bypassing the standard 28 days for a WorkCover claim.
This includes 10 days of lost time paid at their full salary and $500 worth of medical expenses. In most cases, injuries are treated, and employees make a full return to work well before a WorkCover claim is submitted.
The supported work program supports team members that have sustained injuries or illness outside the workplace. Team members are provided with an opportunity to remain at or return to work in a suitable and meaningful manner while undergoing treatment. This ensures they feel engaged and valued without the risk of exacerbating or aggravating their injury.
The award was presented at the annual Worksafe Awards ceremony held in Melbourne last month.
The annual WorkSafe Awards celebrate and recognise Victoria’s health, safety and return to work champions – the everyday innovators leading the charge towards a safer way of working, and a safer Victoria.
Chief executive Alison Leighton congratulated the team for winning the award.
“The team secured the win from a pool of 219 category applicants which is an absolutely outstanding achievement and reflection of their high-quality, people-focused support programs. We are so proud of the team and thank them for their ongoing commitment to workplace safety,” she said.