Kaya reader,

As we approach the end of the financial year, it is an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made as a scheme and to continue strengthening the foundations of our workers compensation system.

This edition of Compensation Matters focuses on practical support for scheme participants. We introduced a new Employer Essentials resource to help employers better understand their injury management responsibilities, alongside important updates for Approved Permanent Impairment Assessors and new arbitration tools designed to support more efficient dispute resolution.

Together, these initiatives are designed to provide greater clarity, build capability, and support earlier, more confident decision-making across the scheme.

We encourage you to explore these resources and consider how they can support your work, because strong foundations and informed action are key to achieving better outcomes for workers and employers alike.

Focus

Our new Employer Essentials – Injury Management and the Claims Process fact sheet has been designed to help employers understand their legal responsibilities when a worker submits a workers compensation claim.

Under Western Australian workers compensation laws, all employers must have an injury management system and meet specific requirements for receiving and managing claims. This new publication provides an overview of:

• what an injury management system is and why it’s required
• the steps employers must take following receipt of a claim
• how claims are assessed and what happens after a decision is made.

The fact sheet is designed to help employers take the right action early, support injured workers, and avoid common compliance issues such as delays in submitting claims to insurers.

What's New?

We were pleased to launch our newly developed Approved Permanent Impairment Assessor Standards of Practice (Standards) and the revised Guidelines for the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (Guidelines) to a full house of APIAs on 20 May.

The Registrar of the Workers Compensation Arbitration Service has published Arbitration Standard Orders for the information and benefit of parties. While the use of these Standard Orders is not mandatory, they will assist the parties in the timely processing of Interlocutory Applications and Memorandum of Consent Orders in the Arbitration Service, with a special focus on:

• disclosure and orders for production
• lodging proposed evidence
• listings, adjournments and programming orders
• final orders.

The complete consolidated Arbitration Standard Orders, as well as comprehensive information regarding our dispute resolution services, is available on our website.

We recently convened our first Underwriter and Data Focus Group with insurers, bringing together senior underwriters and insurance representatives involved in policy administration and data submissions.

This new initiative is designed as a regular forum to be held twice a year, supporting practical conversations on recent changes and emerging issues across the scheme.

We look forward to continuing this engagement through future sessions.

We are continuing to invest in strengthening the security of our systems to better protect the information we hold and the services we provide to you.

We will be implementing important cybersecurity improvements to WorkCover WA Online. These changes will enhance how users securely access the system and help safeguard sensitive information.

One of the upcoming enhancements includes the introduction of Authenticator apps for login verification, planned for implementation by November 2026. This will provide an additional layer of security and align with modern best practices for protecting online services.

At this stage, WorkCover WA Online users do not need to take any action. We will provide clear instructions and support well in advance of any changes that require action by users.

Information security remains a priority for WorkCover WA, and these improvements are part of our ongoing commitment to providing a secure and reliable service.

In early May, we prosecuted a Belmont restaurant for failing to hold workers compensation insurance while engaging 33 workers.

This was not this employer’s first failure, and it turned out to be a costly mistake. The employer was fined $95,000 and ordered to pay avoided premiums of $14,559.

Workers compensation insurance is a legal requirement in Western Australia. It protects your workers - and your business - if something goes wrong.

We take repeated non-compliance seriously. If your business is not appropriately insured, you can expect enforcement action.

On 24 June, we will be presenting at the NSCA Foundation's Perth Safety Forum 2026.

Hear from a range of safety experts for updates on the state of safety in Western Australia examining the risks shaping the future of workplace safety. Acting CEO Rebecca Harris will present Signals, Not Statistics: Understanding the Story of the Western Australian Workers Compensation and Injury Management Scheme.