The Australian insurance industry has been focusing on protecting “gig economy” workers as some essential workers protections remain lacking.

With the federal government working on changing laws to boost work security for gig economy workers and closing gaps in workers' compensation and other worker entitlement for gig employees, Gallagher's Workplace Risk experts have developed bespoke health and safety solutions for its gig economy clients.

Moreover, Gallagher has been helping gig economy employers build workplace risk management into their operations, including using risk assessment and introducing pathways for workers to report concerns and mechanisms for the business to respond.

Workplace safety program

A large National Disability Service community health provider that  uses a gig economy business model has been working with Gallagher to address its risk improvement opportunities.

After a thorough risk assessment, Gallagher and the client built in risk management processes that apply to the gig economy model by:

• co-designing a work, health, and safety framework that provides a road map for achieving safety management and governance for company officers and the business;
• building a fit-for-purpose incident reporting process; and
• advising on assurance activities such as lodging and reviewing corrective actions, investigations, and aligning these to benchmarks.

“By being able to identify and report accurate data through the above activities, the business has identified priority risk controls and designed targeted training programs around these — taking on a more mature risk management approach within their operations at scale,” Gallagher said.

Worker return-to-work rehabilitation support

Currently, gig economy workers do not have access to resources to help them get back to work. As a result, Gallagher's Workplace Risk team has started working with gig-based service providers to build early intervention and workplace rehabilitation services to ensure  that workers have treatment, recovery, and return-to-work pathways that achieve positive outcomes.

The brokerage's return-to-work model provides support through:

• access to occupational therapists;
• access to self-help tools to guide gig economy workers through their recovery and return-to-work process; and
• connections to government support systems to manage injury-related expenses.