Employer compliance campaign – Residential construction industry

WorkCover WA inspectors will be visiting employers in the residential construction industry in 2018.

Our inspectors will perform compliance checks on businesses in the industry to ensure workers’ compensation insurance policies are up-to-date.

In WA, it’s mandatory for employers to have workers’ compensation insurance covering all of their workers. This can include contractors and sub-contractors who are engaged to do work for a business and are paid in substance for their personal manual labour or services.

Employers can be fined $5,000 per worker they employ while uninsured, plus an amount equal to any avoided premium going back five years.

Additionally, if an injured worker makes a claim while an employer is uninsured, the employer will be responsible for all costs associated with the claim. Workers’ compensation and common law claims can cost over $1,000,000 so it’s simply not worth the risk.

Employers can obtain more information about workers’ compensation by:

• reading Workers’ compensation essentials – Employer fact sheet,
• reading A technical note on contractors and workers’ compensation, or
• watching Workers’ compensation insurance: a guide for employers.

If you have any questions in relation to workers’ compensation, contact WorkCover WA’s Advice and Assistance team on 1300 794 744.