WorkCover WA’s campaign featured in The West Australian
As part of National Safe Work Month, WorkCover WA has kicked off our new campaign aimed at educating employers on their legal obligation to hold a workers compensation insurance policy with a feature in the West Australian. This campaign is designed to raise awareness and help employers address non-compliance, ensuring they protect both their workers and their business.
The print and digital ads are expected to reach a broad audience of employers across WA, reinforcing the importance of holding workers compensation insurance.
Stay tuned throughout October for the next phase in our campaign.
For more details, read the full article here:
The costly mistake employers may not know about
As every workplace has an obligation to minimise safety risks – there is also an obligation to protect workers in the event of a workplace injury or illness.
Workers compensation insurance is mandatory for every employer in Western Australia. However, compliance activities conducted by WorkCover WA – the government regulator of the workers compensation scheme – reveal some employers are not meeting this requirement.
In the last financial year alone, 96 prosecutions were conducted by the regulator in response to major breaches. More recently, in September 2024, an employer engaging 64 workers for nine uninsured months was ordered to pay a $150,000 penalty in addition to paying $35,596 in ‘avoided premium’ – the amount which would have been paid in premiums during the uninsured period.
“The penalties are significant, but what many employers don’t know is these penalties are a fraction of the cost of a claim while uninsured,” says WorkCover WA CEO Chris White. “A single claim can cost a business hundreds of thousands of dollars. Without insurance, an employer is liable for the full cost. That’s why every employer needs insurance, not only to protect their workers, but to protect their business.”
It’s a costly mistake, but unfortunately, it’s one some employers don’t know they are making until it’s too late and an injury has occurred, or they are contacted by WorkCover WA.
Mr White adds, “WorkCover WA has devoted significant resources to detecting non-compliance. We currently have a data-sharing arrangement with the Australian Taxation Office which is enabling us to reach non-compliant employers more effectively. What we have seen is a pattern of employers who are committing an offence without knowing it.”
WorkCover WA inspectors regularly encounter employers who mistakenly believe they don’t need insurance to cover family members or casual workers. Contractors and subcontractors may also be considered workers depending on the working arrangement.
Perhaps the most unfortunate example of the unintentional offender is the employer who believes they have a workers compensation policy – only to learn they do not.
“Business insurance packages are marketed as a convenient way to get all your cover at once – but they often do not include workers compensation insurance,” explains Mr White. “Another common mistake is employers believing their cover will automatically renew, where workers compensation needs to be manually renewed each year.”
So, how can you be sure you have the right cover?
“Check your policy details. Your proof of coverage is a Certificate of Currency –a document issued by the insurer when you take out workers compensation insurance. It is important to note public liability, or any other insurance does not cover workplace illness or injuries for workers. And don’t forget to also check your insurance coverage period.”
For more information, contact WorkCover WA’s Advice and Assistance Service on 1300 794 744. Visit the WorkCover WA website to find out how to get a policy and access educational videos and publications.
