Victorians have until the end of May to provide feedback on a draft Code of Claimants’ Rights aimed at improving how injured workers are treated under the state’s workers’ compensation scheme.
WorkSafe Victoria opened public consultation on the draft code in April, following amendments to the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act passed last year. According to the regulator, the code responds to a key recommendation from an independent review into the administration and management of complex claims.
The draft outlines the rights of workers’ compensation claimants, including the right to have a support person, the right to clear communication, and the right to fair treatment. It also sets out service standards and obligations for WorkSafe, its agents, providers, and self-insurers, and establishes a complaints process and potential remedies for breaches of the code.
WorkSafe chief executive officer Cathy Henderson said the code was intended to set clear expectations and improve transparency across the scheme.
“We are committed to delivering a scheme that supports injured workers and ensures people are treated with dignity and respect at every stage of their claim. By formalising these rights, claimants can feel confident and empowered throughout the process,” Henderson said.
Henderson encouraged broad participation in the consultation process.
“WorkSafe values the perspectives of those with lived experience, and we encourage workers, employers, and the community to have their say and help shape a code that will improve outcomes for all claimants,” she said.
Representative bodies, including Victorian Trades Hall Council and Workplace Incidents Consultative Committee – the legislated lived-experience advisory body for workers’ compensation matters – have already provided early feedback on protecting the needs of injured workers and the broader community.
The draft code is open for public comment until May 27 and is expected to commence by the end of the year. Submissions can be made through the Engage Victoria website.
The consultation follows the passage of the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Act 2025, which took effect on Aug 6, 2025. Beyond the code, that legislation also introduced several other changes to the WorkCover scheme, including increases to weekly pensions for dependent children, provisional payments for families of workers who died by suicide, and an increased cap of $10,000 for therapy and support services for future claimants following a work-related death.
