Who needs a Return to Work Coordinator in Victoria?

Who needs a Return to Work Coordinator in Victoria?

Every Victorian employer needs a Return to Work Coordinator for as long as they have a worker with a work-related injury needing support to return to work. Employers with rateable remuneration of $3,059,120 or more (indexed annually) must go further and keep a coordinator appointed at all times, not just when they have an active claim (WorkSafe Victoria).

What triggers the obligation to appoint a Return to Work Coordinator?

Under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic), an employer must appoint an "appropriate person" as a Return to Work (RTW) Coordinator in certain circumstances (WorkSafe Victoria). There are two separate triggers:

1. Below the remuneration threshold — an employer must appoint a RTW Coordinator for the duration of their return to work obligation to a worker who has an incapacity for work. In practice, this means as soon as you have a worker off on a WorkCover claim who needs help getting back to suitable or pre-injury employment, you need someone in this role.
2. At or above the remuneration threshold — currently $3,059,120 of rateable remuneration, indexed annually, an employer must have a RTW Coordinator appointed at all times, regardless of whether they currently have an active claim (WorkSafe Victoria).

What does "rateable remuneration" mean?

Rateable remuneration is the total remuneration WorkSafe Victoria uses to calculate your WorkCover insurance premium across all of your workplaces. It's not the same as headcount — a smaller, higher-paying business can cross the threshold before a larger, lower-wage one does. If you're unsure where your business sits, your WorkCover premium notice or broker can confirm your current rateable remuneration.

Does the Return to Work Coordinator need particular qualifications?

The person appointed must have an appropriate level of seniority and be competent to perform the role. Seniority means they're authorised to speak for the employer and make return-to-work decisions, not just administer paperwork. Competence means having relevant knowledge, skills or experience, including understanding of employer and worker obligations under the return-to-work legislation and the WorkCover scheme (WorkSafe Victoria). WorkSafe recommends coordinators complete the two-day, WorkSafe-endorsed "Role of a RTW Coordinator" training course.

What does a Return to Work Coordinator actually do?

The role involves liaising with the injured worker, their manager, treating health practitioner and any occupational rehabilitation provider; monitoring recovery and return-to-work progress; helping identify suitable or pre-injury employment; helping resolve disputes about the return to work process; and acting as the point of contact for a WorkSafe inspector if one is involved (WorkSafe Victoria).

Is the coordinator personally liable if something goes wrong?

No, not generally. A RTW Coordinator isn't personally liable for anything done or omitted in good faith while acting in the role — that liability sits with the employer instead. The exception is where the person appointed as coordinator is also the employer themselves (WorkSafe Victoria).

Can one person hold this role across multiple sites?

WorkSafe Victoria's guidance doesn't set a cap on how many sites a single coordinator can cover, but the seniority and competence requirements still apply at every site — the coordinator needs enough authority and time to actually manage each return-to-work case properly, not just hold the title. For manufacturers running two or three smaller Victorian sites, this is worth reviewing rather than assuming, since coordinator capacity that works for one site doesn't automatically scale.

Getting this right before you need it

The employers who struggle most with this obligation are the ones who only think about it after an injury happens, when they're scrambling to work out who's actually meant to be running the return-to-work process. Confirming your rateable remuneration position and having a named, trained coordinator ready, even if you sit below the standing-appointment threshold, makes the first few days after an injury far less chaotic. If you'd like an outside review of your return-to-work readiness, book a site assessment.

FAQ

Do small manufacturers need a Return to Work Coordinator? Yes, as soon as they have a worker with a work-related incapacity needing support to return to work — the remuneration threshold only changes whether the coordinator must be a standing appointment or one appointed for the duration of that claim.

What happens if an employer doesn't appoint a Return to Work Coordinator when required? The obligation is a legal requirement under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic); WorkSafe Victoria's compliance codes and RTW inspectors are the relevant points of contact for employers unsure of their obligations.

Does the Return to Work Coordinator need to be a dedicated, full-time role? No. The legislation requires appropriate seniority and competence, not a dedicated full-time position — many Victorian manufacturers combine it with an HR, operations or safety role, provided that person has genuine authority to make return-to-work decisions.

This article is general information for Victorian manufacturers, not legal advice. Last updated: 10 August 2026.