What is the level of influence that may be exercised by income security organisations in facilitating employment outcomes?

Abstract

The primary function of income security organisations is to administer personal injury claims in a commercially viable and cost effective manner, while supporting the receivers of benefits/claimants to achieve a meaningful and durable return to employment. Given the pressures of commercial success in a competitive market measured by effective cost minimisation, to what extent is the level of support offered to individuals claiming benefits impacted by an organisation's purpose to be profitable? The extent of influence exercised by income security organisations in administering claims and driving employment outcomes is limited by jurisdictional legislation and regulations. Furthermore, the requirements to meet compliance requirements can often be detrimental to the quality of management of claims, resulting in a highly administrated framework. This can restrict an organisations capacity to meet individual needs, especially in cases that are not seen as fitting the norm. Considering the conflicting demands imposed by commercial pressures and regulatory frameworks, what is the level of influence that may be exercised by these organisations in facilitating employment outcomes? Employers Mutual have maintained a leading position in the NSW Workers Compensation Scheme, achieving commercial targets, meeting legislative requirements and promoting excellence in employment outcomes through:

• • Organisational vision – we help people get their lives back;

• • Focus on support and development of people as front line drivers of performance;

• • Role design – how we actually do our jobs;

• • Implementing organisation strategies and designing key support roles aligned to remunerative measures;

• • Strategic focus on early intervention to facilitate return to work;

• • Ensuring people receive the full extent of their entitlements, however, are not compensated to excess;

• • Service level agreements with employers/brokers with a key focus on return to work expectations;

• • Strong relationships with third party service providers; and

• • A structured framework that allows flexibility in decision making.