Administrative and scheme delivery changes
Compliance Data
Since February 2022, WorkSafe ACT has published monthly compliance and enforcement data on its website - Compliance and enforcement data - WorkSafe ACT.
Scheme Review
The ACT’s annual actuarial review of private sector workers’ compensation scheme performance for 2023 was finalised in April 2023 and published on the CMTEDD webpage — ACT Workers' Compensation Review of Scheme Performance - Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate.
The ACT also released its 2023-24 suggested reasonable premium rates across industries - ACT Workers' Compensation Scheme Suggested Reasonable Premium Rates - Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate.
Legislated presumptive provisions for eligible ACT public service employees suffering from Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD)
In December 2023, the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023 amended the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act) to legislate presumptive liability provisions for first responders covered by the Act who sustain PTSD.
In relation to the ACT Government’s self-insurance arrangements for the ACT Public Sector, the changes legislated arrangements already administratively in place since January 2022 under the ACT Government’s self-insurance administrative arrangements and extended those arrangements to cover volunteer Emergency Services workers.1
Legislative Amendments
In June 2023, the Workers Compensation Act 1951 (WC Act) was amended by the Workplace Legislation Amendment Act 2022 and confirmed that injured workers in receipt of incapacity payments are able to take and accrue leave during periods of compensated incapacity.
1In relation to the ACT Government’s self-insurance arrangements for the ACT Public Sector, administrative arrangements for faster, quicker claims processes for eligible workers suffering from PTSD were extended to volunteer Emergency Services workers ahead of legislated cover that commenced in December 2023 under the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023