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Regional Differences in Time Off Work After Injury: A Comparison of Australian States and Territories Within A Single Workers’ Compensation System

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Abstract

Purpose Time off work after workplace injury varies by compensation system. While often attributed to features of the compensation system, unaccounted regional factors may drive much of the effect. In this study, we compare disability durations by state and territory of residence within a single national workers’ compensation system. Large differences would indicate that factors other than compensation system settings are responsible for system effects observed in previous studies. Methods We applied crude and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models to compare disability durations by state and territory of residence. Confounders included factors known to influence disability duration. Durations were left-censored at two weeks and right-censored at 104 weeks. Results We analysed N = 31,641 claims. In both crude and adjusted models, three of the seven states and territories significantly differed from the reference group, New South Wales. However, two of the three were different between crude and adjusted models. Regional effects were relatively small compared to other factors including insurer type, age, and type of injury. Conclusions Regional factors influence disability duration, which persist with adjustment for demographic, work, insurer type, and injury confounders. However, the effects are inconsistently significant and fairly small, especially when compared to the effect of confounders and system effects found in previous studies. Regional factors likely only account for a small share of the difference in disability duration between compensation systems.

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Data Availability

This report uses data supplied by Safe Work Australia and has been compiled in collaboration with state, territory, and Commonweatlh workers’ compensation regulators. The views expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are not necessarily the views of Safe Work Australia or the state, territory, and Commonwealth workers’ compensation regulators.

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Funding

This study was funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project grant (DP190102473), as part of the Compensation and Return to Work Effectiveness (ComPARE) Project, and by Safe Work Australia, a government statutory agency that develops national work health and safety and workers’ compensation policy. Professor Collie is supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT190100218).

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  1. School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Tyler J. Lane, Luke Sheehan, Shannon Gray & Alex Collie

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  1. Tyler J. Lane
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Correspondence to Tyler J. Lane.

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This study received ethics approval from the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (CF14/2995 – 2014001663).

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Lane, T.J., Sheehan, L., Gray, S. et al. Regional Differences in Time Off Work After Injury: A Comparison of Australian States and Territories Within A Single Workers’ Compensation System. J Occup Rehabil 32, 252–259 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-020-09947-2

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