• Name
• Employer
• Date of injury
• Card no.

Time card · a workers compensation claim

A workers compensation claim, one clock‑in at a time.

Every state and territory runs its own scheme, with its own forms and deadlines. On their own pages, the order of a claim is much the same in each: you tell your employer, see a doctor for a certificate, lodge a claim form, and an insurer decides. This card follows a claim from the first punch to the last and points you to your own scheme for the rules that apply to you.

A guide by Dotto. Not a law firm.

The card, stage by stage

Eight clock‑ins, from the injury to advice

Each row is one stage. The red stamp is a clock from one scheme’s own page, to show the kind of deadline that applies. Yours may differ, so check your state before you rely on it.

1. In 01

   Report the injury

   Tell your employer as soon as you can. In Tasmania you can do it in person, in writing or by email; WorkSafe Victoria asks you to do it in writing. In NSW, your employer must then notify their claims service provider within 48 hours of you telling them.

   How to make a claim, step by step

   Victoria: report within 30 days of the injury

2. In 02

   See a doctor and get the certificate

   The scheme’s medical certificate tells the insurer about your injury and what work you can do. NSW and Victoria call it a certificate of capacity; Queensland and South Australia call it a work capacity certificate. In Tasmania and the Northern Territory you can choose your own treating doctor.

   Queensland: get it at the first appointment

3. In 03

   Lodge the claim form

   The claim form usually has a part for you and a part for your employer, who passes it to their insurer. In the Northern Territory the employer has three working days to do that; in Western Australia, seven days. In Queensland and Victoria you can lodge online.

   NSW: claim within 6 months of the injury, or later in some cases

4. In 04

   The insurer decides

   The insurer, not your employer, decides whether to accept the claim. WorkCover Queensland says most claims are decided within 20 business days; in the Northern Territory the insurer must make an initial decision within 10 working days of the employer receiving the claim.

   Victoria: 28 days for the agent to decide

5. In 05

   Payments and treatment

   An accepted claim can cover part of your lost wages and reasonable medical costs. Weekly payments are worked out from what you earned before the injury and, in most schemes, step down after a set period.

   Weekly payments and medical expenses

   NT: keep copies of every invoice and receipt

6. In 06

   Back to work

   Returning to work is part of the scheme, not an afterthought. Employers have duties to offer suitable work where they can, and workers are expected to take part in planning their return.

   Return-to-work plans and obligations

   Tasmania: job kept open for 12 months, with exceptions

7. In 07

   If you disagree

   A refused claim or a cut to payments is a decision, and every scheme has a way to challenge it, usually starting with a review and then an independent body.

   When a claim is disputed

   Victoria: apply for conciliation within 60 days

8. In 08

   Getting advice

   Some schemes help with the cost of legal advice in a dispute. In NSW, the Independent Legal Assistance and Review Service can fund an approved lawyer if the matter has a reasonable chance of success.

   Choosing a workers compensation lawyer

   NSW: the IRO aims to assess funding in 5 business days

Which card is yours

The scheme depends on where you work

Each state and territory has its own workers compensation authority, and Comcare covers Australian Government employees and organisations that self-insure under its scheme.

Who handles the claim, and where a dispute goes, in each place: workers compensation by state.