Mid-term assessment of the National Return to Work Strategy 2020–2030 published

Safe Work Australia has published the mid-term review of the National Return to Work Strategy 2020–2030, confirming that the ten-year framework is shaping policy, practice and expectations for people injured or made ill through their job.

Assessment of the first five years shows genuine progress, alongside gaps in the timeliness and quality of support services that will define the rest of the decade.

What the mid-term assessment found

According to Safe Work Australia, the framework offers a decade-long structure to enhance and use national efforts aimed at improving results for injured workers, their employers, insurers and the providers who deliver recovery services.

The review determined that the Strategy has successfully influenced, informed and guided stakeholders to lift return to work outcomes. Assessors also flagged pressures that deserve firmer attention, and greater investment in coordinated services, across the remaining five years.

Key themes from the five-year checkpoint include:

• Real influence: jurisdictions have leaned on the Strategy to justify earlier intervention services.
• Uneven access: tailored services still vary widely by scheme, location and injury type.
• Employer capability: smaller businesses rarely hold in-house expertise, so external advisory services carry extra weight.
• Measurement gaps: schemes know too little about whether case management services deliver durable results rather than closed claims.
• Complex claims: people with psychosocial or multiple injuries wait longer for treatment services and suitable duties.

Priorities before 2030

The Strategy's next phase asks schemes, employers and treating practitioners to act sooner and communicate more clearly. Across Australia, that means:

• Triage services that begin within days of a claim being lodged.
• Plain-language guidance so employers grasp their obligations and the services available to them.
• Consistent engagement of allied health services, with predictable fees.
• Greater emphasis on remaining work capacity rather than diagnosis alone.
• Stronger feedback loops between insurers, providers and the injured people using their services.

Mid-term findings will shape the Strategy's final phase, so expect refreshed guidance and sharper expectations before 2030.

Why safety professionals should read the findings

Recovery is a safety issue, not merely an administrative one. Sound health and safety systems reduce how many people ever need these services, while disciplined return-to-work programs limit harm once an injury has happened.

Documentation makes the difference. Clear plans, named responsibilities, agreed review dates and steady contact with treating practitioners help employers extract genuine value from the services they fund.

Practical steps for employers

Safety teams can act now, without waiting for legislative change:

• Confirm who coordinates each claim, and who signs off modified work duties.
• Map suitable tasks by department before anyone is hurt, so alternatives exist on day one.
• Keep contact regular and respectful while someone is away from work.
• Ask treating practitioners what a person can do, not only what keeps them off work.
• Record every conversation, referral and adjustment.
• Ask providers of counselling services and similar supports for measurable goals.

Sustainable work is the goal — a durable placement rather than a short-lived trial. Our Return to Work Plan template gives safety coordinators a documented structure for graduated duties, agreed milestones and sign-off, so nobody improvises after an injury.

Where to read more

The full document sits on the regulator's website, alongside earlier consultation material on the Strategy, 2021 survey results and findings from the 2025 National Return to Work Survey. Read them together for a national picture of what helps injured people regain durable capacity.

SafetyDocs by SafetyCulture tracks each stage of the Strategy so subscribers can align procedures with regulator expectations. Templates are refreshed by our specialists whenever guidance shifts, keeping your safety documentation and support services current.