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Research Brief

Return to Work

Wave One and Two Results of theInjured Worker Survey

2011-12

Comcare Research TeamJuly 2012

Table of Contents

Background and context

OverviewCurrent work status

Readiness to return to work (RTW) Emotional and physical readiness Perceptions of recovery

Perceptions of injury Accountability for injury Resilience and RTW

Return to workImpact of work on recoveryHelp in returning to work

Contact information

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Background and context

Don’t Forget

The information contained within this report is from Waves 1 and 2 of the Injured Worker Survey.

Comcare’s research program currently consists of four surveys: the Injured Worker Survey the Employer Representative Survey (WHS Managers) the Employer Representative Survey (Injury management/rehabilitation managers) the Claims Manager/CSO Survey.

Wave 1 of the surveys was run in October/November 2011. Wave 2 was conducted in May/June 2012. Representatives from both premium payers and licensees participated in both Waves.

The results from each of the surveys will be reported over time to help us understand some of the drivers of change.

It’s a Fact

Over 1400 injured workers completed the surveyacross the two waves. 884 were from premium paying agencies, while 536 were from self-insured organisations.

The data presented in this report are only a small part of the information available from the Comcare survey research program. The purpose of this report is to highlight some of the key findings associated with return to work (RTW).

A representative sample of injured workers with active workers’ compensation claims in the six months prior to the survey period were included for each Wave.

Further information can be obtained about the Injured Worker Survey, or any of the other surveys, by getting in touch with the Comcare Research team.

Chat to theResearch Team

As you are reading this report, ask yourself what other information might help you to make a difference and then ask the Research Team if they can help!

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Current work status

Here’s an Idea

Both the employer and the workplace are important in supporting an injured or unwell worker.

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0Currently

working, took time off

Currently working, no

time off

Not working, previous RTW

attempt

Not working, never tried to

RTW

Took no time off, not

currently working

Wave 1 Wave 2

F i gu r e 1 : Current work status for Waves 1 and 2.

As shown in Figure 1, injured workers in Wave 2 were less likely to have had time off work as a result of their injury and be working at the time of the interview than those surveyed in Wave 1. For Wave 2, the proportion of injured workers who were working at the time of the interview was about the same as in Wave 1.

Across both Waves, injured workers from licensees were slightly more likely to be at work at the time of interview and not have taken time off than those from premium payers.

Point to Ponder

What are licensees doing differently to premium payers which mean their injured or unwell workers are more likely to remain at work or successfully return to work?

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Readiness to RTW

Here’s an Idea

People do not have to be100% fit in order to RTW, but they do need to be ready!

1 3 1 55 7 6 5

49 42 3945

45 48 5344

It’s a Fact

The main reasons people were not working were:• Still injured or in pain• Not emotionally ready• No support

from employer.

Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 1 Wave 2

Physically ready Emotionally ready

Not currently working

Yes No Maybe Don't know

It’s a FactIn 2011/12, an average of15% of Comcare injured workers were working but not physically or emotionally ready to.

F i gu r e 2 : Readiness of those not currently working to RTW.

As shown in Figure 2, there were a high proportion of respondents in both Wave1 and 2 who were not working at the time of the interview but reported that they were physically (average 46%) or emotionally (48%) ready to RTW.

While not evident from Figure 2, 32 per cent of respondents said they were both physically and emotionally ready to be at work, but were not working.

Ask Yourself

Why are some people returning to work when they aren’t ready to, while others aren’t returning to workeven when they are

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ready to?

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Perceptions of recovery

Here’s an Idea

7 114 7

23

An individual's perception is their reality! Therefore, if someone thinks they are sick, they are.

3537

3837 31

3039 42

3342 43

27 28

29 33

20 2026 24

12 8

14 13

14 13

Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 1 Wave 2 W 3e 1 W 3e 2 Wave 1 Wave 2

It’s a Fact

In 2011/12, only 27% of Comcare injured workers who were not working expected to fully or almost fully recover.

Have recovered Expect to recover Have recovered Expect to recover

Currently working Not currently working

Fully Almost fully Only partially Not at all

F i gu r e 3 : Perceptions and expectations of recovery by current work status.

As could be expected, the perceptions and expectations of injured workers around their recovery were very different for those who were working compared to those who weren’t. This pattern is consistent across both Wave 1 and 2.

As can be seen in Figure 3, those not currently working were five times more likely to think that they will not recover at all than those currently working. This

finding emphasises the importance of both early intervention and early RTW in an individual’s recovery.

Wave 1

Wave 2

Wave 2Wave 2 Wave 1Wave 1 Wave 2Wave 1

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Ask Yourself

Is Comcare creating needless disability by asking injured workers toconstantly prove they are injured or unwell? And, can we change this?

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Accountability for injury

Here’s an Idea

Those who accept accountability for their injury will recover more quickly.

61 5668

83

39 3929

17

It’s a FactTwo-thirds of those who were working (66%) believed their employer had contributed to their illnessor injury in some way, compared to 80% of those not working.

Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 1 Wave 2

Currently working Not currently working

Responsible Not responsible

F i gu r e 4 : Responsibility for accident or injury by current work status.

Injured workers were asked how responsible they believed they were for their accident or injury.

In Wave 1, more than twice as many (39%) of those who were working believed they were partially or totally responsible for their injury or illness, compared to those who were not working (17%). In Wave 2, the difference was less but still evident (39% and 29% respectively).

Ask Yourself

Do we need to manage injured workers differently according to whether they do or don’t accept some responsibility for their accident or injury?

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Resilience and RTW

Here’s an Idea 30 22

10 15 25 21 28 20 Ask Yourself

Resilience is the ability of an individual to ‘bounce back’, adapt to, or recover from, difficult circumstances.

54 66

46 43

50 5761 72

Are those with higher levels of resilience more likely to experience better outcomes and faster recoveries?

16 12

44 4225 22

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Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 1 Wave 2

Currently working Not currently working Took time off Took no time off

Work status Time off

Low Medium High

It’s a Fact F i gu r e 5 : Resilience levels by work status and time off.

More than twice as many injured workers who were working had high resiliencePoint to Ponder

The Injured Worker Surveyincluded the Brief Resilience Scale – a validated measure designed to assess

individual resilience. levels in comparison to those who were not working. Conversely, three times as many injured workers who

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were not working had low resilience levels.

When it came to taking time off work, the most notable result was that more than twice as many people who took time off had low resilience compared to those who took no time off.

How does personal or individual resilience impact someone’s experience of workers’ compensation as well as their recovery?

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Impact of work on recovery

Here’s an Idea

Good work conditions create beneficial health effects.

10 13

28

44

32 33

3333

47 42

40 40Ask Yourself

What has changed for those with a mental disease claim in the last six months?

5417 26

3124 27 19 23 26 30

It’s a Fact

A higher proportion of injured workers with a mental disease claim reported that going back to work helped their recovery than any

other injurygroup.

Wave 1 Wave 2Wave 1Wave 2Wave 1Wave 2Wave 1Wave 2

Mental diseaseM

Other diseaseOther injury

362719

26

1

Helped

Hindered

Not affected

Figure

6 : Impact of work on recovery by injury group.

Injured workers were asked whether returning to work helped, hindered or had no effect on their recovery in both Wave 1 and Wave 2.

While still the group with the most positive perceptions of the impact of work on their recovery, the proportion of injured workers with a mental disease claim reporting that work helped their recovery fell from more than half (54%) in Wave 1 to less than one third (31%) in Wave 2.

Point to Ponder

Would setting expectations around returning to work early on in a claim help to facilitate an earlier recovery?

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Help in returning to work

Other health professional

Treating doctor

Myself

Immediate boss

No-one

Research Says

Canadian and UKresearchers have foundthat GPs often struggle with their role in managing consultations about work health and RTW.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

% of injured workers

Wave 1 Wave 2

F i gu r e 7 : Most important person in return to work.

The most important people in helping injured workers RTW, other than themselves, were ‘Other health professionals’ (such as psychologists and physiotherapists), followed by ‘Their treating doctor’.

The differences in data between Waves 1 and 2 show that individuals need different types of support, depending on their circumstances. For example, the proportion of injured workers reporting ‘Their treating doctor’ as most important in RTW reduced, while the proportion reporting ‘Their immediate boss’ as most important increased.

Ask Yourself

How do we identify themost important person in an injured workers return to work and positivelyinfluence that person?

For more information please contact the Comcare Research Team at:r ese a r c h. t e a m @ c om c a r e .go v . a u 1300 366 979