If you’ve contracted COVID at work you may be entitled to WorkCover

There are many categories of workers who have been or will be at risk of contracting COVID due to the nature of their employment.

A worker who contracts COVID may suffer serious complications. The symptoms and/or treatment for COVID may also result in the recurrence, aggravation, acceleration, exacerbation or deterioration of a pre-existing injury or disease.

A worker who contracts COVID may require ongoing medical care and/or have a reduced capacity for work and in some severe cases may never be able to return to work again.

I have contracted COVID at work, can I claim WorkCover compensation?

A worker who contracts COVID may be entitled to WorkCover benefits if:

• The nature of their work significantly increased their risk of contracting COVID
• They have suffered a recurrence, aggravation or deterioration of a pre-existing injury or disease due to their work environment

A worker who has contracted COVID may lodge a WorkCover claim irrespective of whether they contracted COVID during their employment, so long as the nature of their employment significantly increased their risk of contracting it.

What WorkCover entitlements are available if I contract COVID?

You may be entitled to the following:

• Medical and treatment expenses
• Weekly payments for lost wages
• Lump sum compensation for pain and suffering

Do I have to prove that it was my employer’s fault that I contracted COVID?

To be entitled to WorkCover statutory benefits such as weekly payments and medical and like expenses, a worker does not have to prove it was due to the employer’s negligence that they contracted COVID.