Your Policy

Under the Workers' Compensation Act 1951 all employers are required to take out a policy to cover all employees including the following:

• apprentices
• sub contractors
• family members
• working directors.

For further information, see the WorkCover ACT website.

All employees are covered by a workers' compensation policy and are entitled to compensation for any injury that occurs in the course of their employment (where their employment is deemed to be a significant contributing factor).

If you are a sole proprietor or a member of a partnership, you are not a worker of your own business and therefore you cannot take out a workers' compensation policy for yourself.

When taking out a policy, you will need to submit a proposal form declaring estimated wages for the period of the policy (usually twelve months) and pay the deposit premium based on the estimate. The premium is adjusted at the end of the period based on actual wages. 

Premium rates are reviewed by CGU annually.  The rate you pay is determined by your industry or occupation.  This rate is then applied to your gross estimated wages for the 12 month period. The rate may be varied subject to your previous claims history and wageroll.

If one of your workers has a work related injury or industrial disease and you are uninsured, you will be liable for the cost of that claim. You may also be liable for the cost of any damages awarded by a court. In addition, you may be liable for triple the amount of premium that would have been payable had a policy been maintained and triple the cost of the claim. For further information, see the WorkCover ACT website.

Under the terms of the policy we issue, you have certain policy and claims responsibilities to fulfil. It is important that you take the time to read your policy document so that you are aware of these obligations.

The major obligations you have are to:

• provide estimated and actual wages declarations for each policy period you are insured with us
• maintain proper Wages Records for every worker employed
• allow inspection of your wages records by a duly authorised representative appointed by us
• give notice of any injury or incident as soon as practicable 

   

  As an employer, you also have obligations when one of your employees is injured at work. For further information, see the claims section for employers.