Early support for injured workers leads to better return to work results, Sedgwick says in a report today.

The loss adjuster cites national data including a Safe Work Australia survey last year that found post-injury management planning with employers made a difference.

Injured workers with a plan to get back to work were significantly more likely to return (94%) than those without one (81.7%).

“Employer actions have a measurable impact on recovery success,” the Sedgwick report says.

“Return to work is most effective when it is workplace-led, clinically informed and supported by timely health intervention.”

Sedgwick says recovery support has become more important as workplace injuries continue to present major human, operational and financial challenges.

SafeWork data shows about 146,700 serious workers’ compensation claims were recorded in 2023-24, more than 400 cases a day, according to the report. A claim is defined as serious if a worker requires one week or more recovery time.

Mental injuries make up about 10%-11% of serious claims, and the rate has nearly doubled over the past decade. The overall return to work rate declined from 91.6% in 2021 to 88.9% last year.

Workers with mental injuries take longer to return to work than physically harmed workers.

“The rising proportion of psychological injuries has a compounding cost impact,” Sedgwick said. “As injury profiles change and psychological claims continue to rise, effective injury management and return to work practices are no longer optional.”

Sedgwick says employers that embed early intervention models will be “best positioned to reverse declining [return] trends, contain claim costs and support sustainable workforce participation”.