The commonwealth, state and territory workers' compensation schemes provide compensation for staff injured in the course of employment and provide for their rehabilitation and return to work.

It is compulsory for employers to get insurance for workers' compensation liability and ensure they meet their legal obligations as specified by their state or territory. These obligations are the same regardless of workers' ages.

Workers' compensation premiums are not based on the age profile of an employer’s workforce, but will usually be based on some or all of the following:

• the amount of wages and salaries that employers pay to their workers;
• the costs of compensation claims;
• the industry in which an employer operates (industry premium rates reflect the costs of all compensation claims in each type of industry);
• specific funding arrangements in a state or territory such as dust diseases levies.

Because workers' compensation performance is taken into account when calculating premium rates, good results, in conjunction with good OHS practices, should help to reduce premiums.

Read more: Workers' compensation - Commonwealth, state and territory links