Does workers compensation cover COVID-19 claims?

Please note: Not all jurisdictions have published their position on COVID-19 and Workers Compensation claims – however the information we are providing is indicative of the majority of schemes.

Many of our clients are wondering whether Workers Compensation claims can be lodged for COVID-19. To provide some clarity on how insurers will be treating these types of claims please refer to the following information.

Q. I'm an employee and I've been told by my employer to undergo testing for COVID-19 and stay home as I have symptoms such as coughing and a fever. Will WorkCover cover my wages while I am in quarantine until my test results come back?

A. WorkCover will only cover your wages during quarantine if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 and WorkCover accepts your lodged statutory claim.

Q. Will WorkCover accept claims from employees that are diagnosed with COVID-19?

A. When deciding whether to accept a statutory claim for compensation, Insurers will want to be sure that the exposure occurred in the workplace, and that work exposure was a significant contributing factor to the diagnosis.

Q. What information do employees need to provide to lodge a claim for COVID-19?

A. As with all statutory compensation claims, a claim will need to be lodged with WorkCover. For potential COVID-19 claims, WorkCover will also require:

  • medical confirmation of COVID-19 diagnosis; and

  • evidence to demonstrate that your COVID-19 exposure occurred within your work environment; and

  • medical confirmation that your employment was a significant contributing factor to the contraction of COVID-19.

If you are an AB Phillips Workers Compensation client and have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact the People Solutions team at AB Phillips on advice@abphillips.com.au or call 1300 242 136.

AB Phillips' workers compensation offering gives businesses a better deal with thousands of dollars worth of additional benefits for free. If you would like to know more about AB Phillips workers compensation services, please click here.

Kind regards,
The AB Phillips People Solutions Team

AB Phillipsemployers