The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has launched a public consultation on proposed improvements to the ACC’s Accredited Employers Programme (AEP).

The AEP allows sufficiently large employers to stand in for the ACC and manage their employees’ claims for work injuries and occupational diseases. In exchange, accredited employers receive substantial deductions in the employer levies they need to pay the ACC.

The consultation, which will run until Nov. 6, will focus on improvements in three key areas – the accreditation process, the current monitoring and audit in the framework and product enhancements. It aims to make the AEP more worker-centric, improve ACC’s guidance and oversight for the programme, and incentivise accredited employers to improve their performance.

According to the MBIE, the programme’s premise is that employers may be able to provide a better and more efficient experience for injured workers than ACC, as the employer is expected to have a closer relationship with their employees and to know their industry better. To become accredited, employers must meet financial strength requirements and demonstrate sufficient experience and expertise in workplace health and safety, and claims and injury management, the ministry said.

Interested parties may view the consultation documents on the MBIE’s website.