NSW Employment Law - Can Employer Force Me to Discuss My Injury?

Australia's #1 for Law
Join 150,000 Australians every month. Ask a question, respond to a question and better understand the law today!
FREE - Join Now

Jack1965

Member
8 July 2016
4
0
1
Can my employer force me to discuss my injury with an outside party under employment law?
 

Rod

Lawyer
LawConnect (LawTap) Verified
27 May 2014
7,715
1,055
2,894
www.hutchinsonlegal.com.au
In some limited cases, yes. Employers owe you and other employees a duty of care and must not put you in a situation where they may make your injury worse or cause a safety issue for other employees. They are allowed to have their own medical people assess your injury.
 

Jack1965

Member
8 July 2016
4
0
1
Thanks for your reply Rod,

The other party is the manufacturer of a machine that I received a repetitive strain injury from. Should I talk to them while my claim is still in progress?
 

Rod

Lawyer
LawConnect (LawTap) Verified
27 May 2014
7,715
1,055
2,894
www.hutchinsonlegal.com.au
This is an awkward one.

Your employer may want the machine manufacturer to know of a problem with their machine and how injuries can occur so they can fix the problem. Assuming you are following the training you have been given then there is no reason not to co-operate although I don't think you need to go into a lot of detail about your injuries, it should more be about 'how' the injury happened (ie incident report), not about you as an individual.

However I do not know the extent of your injuries or the progress of any workcover claims so I am hesitant to say definitively one way or the other.
 

Jack1965

Member
8 July 2016
4
0
1
My supervisor doesn't believe my injury is related to use of this machine. Medical people, the insurers investigator,and co workers all support my claim.
 

Tim W

Lawyer
LawConnect (LawTap) Verified
28 April 2014
4,902
819
2,894
Sydney
You can be required to meet with (be examined by) their (their insurer's) medical people, yes.
But no, you are not required to meet or talk with the maker of the machine.
 

Rod

Lawyer
LawConnect (LawTap) Verified
27 May 2014
7,715
1,055
2,894
www.hutchinsonlegal.com.au
Think Tim's context is in relation to your injury.

It is not unreasonable for your employer to ask you to talk with the manufacturer about the operation of the machine.
 

Tim W

Lawyer
LawConnect (LawTap) Verified
28 April 2014
4,902
819
2,894
Sydney
Think Tim's context is in relation to your injury.

It is not unreasonable for your employer to ask you to talk with the manufacturer about the operation of the machine.
Except where doing so could provide evidence that is not favourable to your injury claim.
You are not required to provide the defence with material to potentially use against you.