Workers' Voice Project

New Insights from the Workers’ Voice Project: Understanding Claim-Related Stress and Mental Health

A recent publication, Factors Associated with Negative Experiences and Mental Ill Health During a Workers’ Compensation Claim: A Mixed Methods Study was recently published in the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation.

The latest findings from the Workers' Voice study explored what aspects of workers’ compensation claims contribute to negative experiences and mental ill health among injured workers in Australia.

🔍Key Findings

✅Workers' Voice study surveyed 533 workers who had submitted workers’ compensation claims in Australia in the last 10 years
✅Negative interactions with insurers and delays in claim approval were strongly linked to workers reporting consistently negative experiences.
✅Qualitative feedback highlighted key stressors, including poor communication from claim managers, difficulty navigating claim requirements, long wait times for approvals, and a sense of being disadvantaged, especially at a time of illness or injury.
✅The emotional toll extended to workers' personal lives. Many workers described loss of confidence, financial strain, and impacts on family life.

💡 What This Means
This research shows the importance of improving workers’ compensation systems, so they support, not hinder, recovery and mental wellbeing of all workers who submit a claim. Enhancing clarity, reducing delays, and fostering empathetic communication could help mitigate stress experienced by injured workers.

Centering lived experience is a core principle of the Workers’ Voice project. Through listening to what workers have to say, we can identify actionable solutions that make workers’ compensation systems fairer, clearer, and more supportive for those they aim to help.

🔗Read the publication here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10926-026-10364-0

Did you know there are 4 Phases to a Workers' Compensation claim?

Workers’ Voice study has released a new practical resource, “Four Phases of a Workers’ Compensation Claim”, designed to help injured workers, employers, and practitioners better understand the workers’ compensation process.

Workers’ compensation systems can be complex and difficult to navigate, particularly during a stressful time following a workplace injury or illness. This new document breaks the claim journey into four clear phases, outlining what happens at each stage and who is involved.

Phase 1: The Worker is Injured
Phase 2: A Claim Decision is Made
Phase 3: Benefits and Services are Provided
Phase 4: The Claim Ends

Read more here: https://workersvoice.com.au/four-phases-of-a-workers-compensation-claim/

Just Launched! Complete the Validation Survey.

We want your expert input to help us understand how these systems work.

Researchers from Monash University and the University of Melbourne are conducting a national study to define how workers’ compensation systems operate across Australia. We would like your expert input to help us understand how these systems work.

This survey aims to:

👉🏽Consolidate expert perspectives on how workers’ compensation systems function across States and Territories.

👉🏽Identify areas where systems can be strengthened or made more consistent.

👉🏽Support the development of consumer and evidence-informed tools for research and policy.

🔗Complete the survey here: https://q.surveys.unimelb.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_6ySjSTJ8BXtDZpc

Workers’ Voice has published the final document of its seven-part series, created by individuals with direct experience of the workers’ compensation system.

Drawing on their own experiences of the difficulties in claiming, obtaining support, and managing recovery, these workers have collaborated to develop practical solutions grounded in real-world experience. ,

The seventh and final document, titled 'Strengthen regulation of insurers, employers and service providers', highlights that according to workers, scheme regulators could do much more to ensure that workers’ compensation systems were operating as they are intended, and that key participants in the schemes are meeting their obligations and working in the best interests of injured workers.

🔗Read the document here:https://workersvoice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/FINAL_Area-7.pdf

‼️SURVEY CLOSES THIS FRIDAY 14TH NOVEMBER: https://workersvoice.com.au/get-involved/complete-our-survey-make-your-voice-heard/

Workers’ Voice has released the sixth document in a seven-part series designed by people with lived experience of the workers’ compensation system.

Using their firsthand knowledge of the challenges involved in claiming, accessing support, and recovery, these workers have collaborated to create practical solutions that reflect their experiences.

This document is titled "Provide supportive and alternative pathways for scheme exit" and describes how workers report that they are often unprepared for this transition off workers’ compensation, that the transition can have substantial financial consequences (e.g., moving onto the low rate of the national unemployment benefit), and that insurers provide few supports during the transition period.

FINAL CHANCE TO COMPLETE OUR SURVEY. CLOSES FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER: https://monash.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5pcKt7M64Ez1nx4

⏳ SURVEY CLOSES THIS FRIDAY!

Workers’ Voice researchers are looking for workers with experience in the workers' compensation system to take part in a short survey.

You'll be asked to rate solutions suggested by other injured workers based on what matters most to you.

Your voice matters - help shape improvements based on real lived experience.

🔗 Take the survey now: http://bit.ly/46ARheQ

The fifth document in Workers’ Voice’s seven-part series is now available, developed by people with lived experience of the workers’ compensation system.

With firsthand insight into the challenges of making a claim, accessing support, and navigating recovery, these workers have worked together to produce practical, experience-based solutions to strengthen the system.

This document, titled 'Develop a mental health claims model of care' looks into how workers report that workers’ compensation systems and claim management processes and rules are designed for workers with physical injury, and are not always suited to workers with mental health conditions (often referred to as psychological injuries).

Your voice matters, too. We’re inviting workers with experience in the system to take part in a short survey to help shape what comes next.

You’ll be asked to rate the solutions proposed by other injured workers, helping identify what really works and what doesn’t.

🔗Read the fifth document here: https://workersvoice.com.au/resources/solutions-series/

🔗Take the survey: http://bit.ly/46ARheQ

Workers’ Voice has just released the fourth document in a seven-part series created by people with lived experience of the workers’ compensation system.

The document, titled ‘Reduce financial burdens on workers and their families’, explores how certain rules within workers’ compensation schemes can create unintended and often overlooked financial impacts on workers and their families.

We’re inviting workers with experience in the system to take part in a short survey to help shape what comes next and rate the solutions proposed by other injured workers, helping identify what really works and what doesn’t.

🔗Read all the documents released so far: https://workersvoice.com.au/resources/solutions-series/

🔗Take the survey here: https://workersvoice.com.au/get-involved/complete-our-survey-make-your-voice-heard/

Workers’ Voice has released the third document in a seven-part series created by people with lived experience of the workers’ compensation system.

Drawing on their first-hand knowledge of the difficulties involved in making a claim, accessing support, and managing recovery, these workers have collaborated to create practical, experience-based solutions aimed at improving the system.

This document, titled Help injured workers navigate a complex system explores the concept that workers report that they often have very limited knowledge or understanding of how workers’ compensation systems work or what is expected of them when they make a claim.

Your voice matters, too. We’re inviting workers with experience in the system to take part in a short survey to help shape what comes next.

You’ll be asked to rate the solutions proposed by other injured workers, helping identify what really works and what doesn’t.

🔗Read the third document herehttps://workersvoice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/FINAL_Area-3.pdf

🔗Take the survey: http://bit.ly/46ARheQ

📢Proposed solutions for workers’ compensation reform - Area 2

Workers’ Voice has just released the second document from a seven-part series developed by people with lived experience of the workers’ compensation system.

These workers know first-hand the challenges of making a claim, accessing support, and navigating recovery, and they’ve worked together to develop practical, experience-based solutions to improve the system.

The second document, titled "Build trust by being fair, transparent and supportive of workers", focuses on the relationship between the injured worker and their workers’ compensation claims manager/s can have a very powerful influence on worker health and return to work.

👉🏽What's Next?

We’re inviting workers with experience in the system to take part in a short survey to help shape what comes next.

They'll be asked to rate the solutions proposed by other injured workers, helping identify what really works and what doesn’t.

🔗Read the second document here: https://lnkd.in/gMnZtYMM

🔗Take the survey: http://bit.ly/46ARheQ

Workers’ Voice has just released the first in a seven-part series of documents developed by people with lived experience of the workers’ compensation system.

These workers’ know first-hand the challenges of making a claim, accessing support, and navigating recovery, and they’ve worked together to develop practical, experience-based solutions to improve the system.

The first document focuses on Medical Information - the processes, barriers, and opportunities to make information-sharing clearer and fairer for injured workers.

Your voice matters, too. We’re inviting workers with experience in the system to take part in a short survey to help shape what comes next.

You’ll be asked to rate the solutions proposed by other injured workers, helping identify what really works and what doesn’t.

🔗Read the first document: https://workersvoice.com.au/resources/solutions-series/

🔗Take the survey: http://bit.ly/46ARheQ