ARPA calls for a new conversation on the future of Australia’s workers’ compensation due to COVID-19
Demand for gig economy services has jumped significantly since the spread of COVID-19 in Australia, however its 3.6 million workers are operating without a safety net, putting the recovery of the Australian economy in further jeopardy.
Australia’s gig workers fall completely outside the workers’ compensation safety net when it comes to work-related injuries. Isolated from support systems that offer other workers security, gig workers are responsible for their own workplace health and safety standards and must rely on personal plans to protect them if injured.
The Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association (ARPA) is calling on government and business to act now, and are recommending that the National Cabinet supports a comprehensive review into workers’ compensation and OHS laws to help create a better safety net for gig workers, to better support our entire workforce, to optimise early intervention and return to work for all workers, thereby helping to put the Australian economy on a sustainable and equitable path to recovery.