If you're not able to work while injured

Your medical certificate says you're 'fully unfit' for work

There are only a few instances when we expect a health provider to issue a medical certificate stating you're fully unfit for work: 

• You have a total inability to work, for example if you're admitted to hospital or confined to a bed.
• There is a need to quarantine as a result of your injury and you are unable to work remotely.
• Being in the workplace, even with assistance or modifications, poses a health and safety risk to yourself, your co-workers, or the general public.

Ask your employer to give you information about your workplace, job, and suitable or available duties to pass on to your health provider. This is so the health provider understands what you could do safely at work and they can issue a Fit for Selected Work certificate when appropriate.

If you are certified as fully unfit there is a range of ways we can support you during your recovery.

Learn about weekly compensation

Learn about the supports we can offer

Your recovery plan 

If your injury is more complex and likely to affect you for more than 13 weeks, we’ll help you develop your own recovery plan. Your recovery team will work with you, your health provider, and your employer.  
 
Your plan will include: 

• how we'll help get you back to your normal work hours and duties 
• what support you'll need at work 
• when your rehabilitation is expected to be complete. 

You can also bring a support person who can help in planning your rehabilitation. 

How long we can support you 

We can support you until you're fit for work and ready for a job that suits your training and experience. This could be short-term support or for a longer-term injury. 
 
You'll need to show us a medical certificate to confirm you can't work. 

If you can’t go back to the same job 

If you can’t return to your job because of your injury, we’ll help you to prepare for finding a new one. 

Assessing your skills and work options 

We can arrange for independent expert assessors to look at your situation and assess what types of work would suit your skills, education, and experience. 
 
An assessor can also advise on whether you would be medically fit to do these jobs. This will help us support you in reaching your goals. 

We call this a vocational assessment. 

Learn more about vocational assessment, what is involved and how we can support you

Getting you back into the job market 

We can help you: 

• re-enter the job market by finding the same type of job but with a new employer 
• help you look for and re-train in a different role that we identified as part of your assessment 
• put together a programme to regain your ability to work. This might include building your abilities through work experience. 

Medical clearance 

When you've finished your rehabilitation and your health provider thinks you're able to do your pre-injury job, they will either not give you a further medical certificate or issue you a Fit for Work clearance. 
 
If you disagree, talk to us about the next steps. You can review any claim decision you don't agree with. 
 
Resolve an issue with your claim