Joining the Accredited Employers Programme (AEP)

Changes to AEP

1 April 2025 update

Changes to AEP are effective from 1 April 2025. The changes include updates to the annual assessment and a new way of managing performance.

The changes aim to support better health and safety outcomes, modernise the assessment tools, improve the way employers handle claims, and help us hear and learn more from workers about their experience. It will also improve visibility of performance across AEP leading to more proactive and robust responses by ACC.

If you have any questions about these changes, contact us.

Email aepqueries@acc.co.nz

How AEP works

Joining AEP means you’ll be responsible for managing your employees’ injuries and claims if they have an injury at work. This includes:

• making decisions on whether their injury is covered
• paying all claims costs for their support, treatment and rehabilitation under the Accident Compensation Act 2001. Eg, paying weekly compensation when they can’t work
• managing your employees' injuries and helping with their rehabilitation
• making sure health and safety practices are in place in your workplace.

Managing injuries and claims through a third party

You can manage workplace injuries in-house, or you can subcontract a third party to help you. If you do use a third party, you're still responsible for how you manage your workplace injury claims.

Are you eligible for AEP?

You’ll need to show us that you have:

• appropriate experience in workplace health and safety
• demonstrated a commitment to injury prevention and rehabilitation
• the policies, procedures, and resources for injury prevention, claims management and rehabilitation
• the financial strength and stability to meet the costs of your employees’ cover and rehabilitation.

How we check you’re meeting AEP requirements

When you apply, we’ll ask you to send us a checklist of supporting information.  After that, you'll need to arrange an on-site assessment. This is to make sure your business meets all the requirements for AEP.  An ACC approved independent assessor completes the audit. 

View a list of ACC approved assessors 

If your application is successful, you’ll be assessed every year. We’ll also work with you to understand how you’re performing and identify any opportunities for improvement. 

Benefits of joining AEP

• You have the potential to save up to 90% off your Work levy
• There are options to help limit your financial liability
• By having good health and safety practices in place at work, you can prevent injuries. This means safer employees, less claims and lower costs for your organisation
• You’ll have more visibility of your employee's injury and can help with their recovery and a safe return to work 
• We have a dedicated team who can support you with claims and injury management and performance

You can calculate the levies you'll pay on AEP:

Calculating your levy

Risks of joining AEP

• If one of your employees has a fatal or serious work injury, you could end up supporting them or their surviving dependents financially for the life of the claim. This may still apply even if you leave the Programme
• If you don't manage your injuries and claims well, the total cost of being in AEP could be more than what you would've paid if you weren't in AEP.

How to join AEP – talk to us first

To decide if AEP is the best option for your business, contact your Relationship Manager. If you don’t have one, email us with your business name and ACC number and we’ll get in touch.

Email aepqueries@acc.co.nz

Submitting your application and next steps

After you’ve talked to us, we can send you an application form. We’ll let you know about the application process, what you need to provide, how long things will take and what the next steps are.