By Bernie Hogan
Walk into any Queensland pub or hotel and you’ll find a small team, often family-run, working hard to give locals and visitors a great experience, whether it’s a meal, a drink, a stay or a celebration.
These businesses are the backbone of our communities and too many of them are being squeezed by a WorkCover system that is slow, hard to navigate and increasingly expensive.
That’s why the Queensland Government’s reform plan is a welcome and positive step.
The Queensland Hotels Association helped develop and present recommendations to Government, and we’re pleased to see a number have been adopted.
Here is what the reforms mean for our industry.
Stamping out fraud
Every fraudulent claim pushes up premiums for honest operators, most of them small and family-owned. It also insults the workers who genuinely need help. Tackling fraud is about fairness to businesses and to the people the system exists to protect.
A clearer test for psychological injury
Work will now need to be the major factor, not just one contributor among many. Genuine injuries must always be supported, but a scheme that is clear about cause is one we can sustain.
Clarity on reasonable management action
Managers don’t need to be perfect, but they do need to be reasonable. Clearer rules give them the confidence to insist on quality service, keep staff and patrons safe, and attract great people to their business.
A specialised insurance model
Lengthy wait times and rising costs are hurting workers and employers alike. The Government will now consider a hospitality-specific insurance system that is already working successfully in other states.
Together, these changes should put downward pressure on premiums, get people back to the dignity of work and ensure patrons receive quality service.
The Government needs to be bold for the hospitality industry, and these reforms are a positive start.
But there’s more to be done, and the sooner we can put these changes into action to support both businesses and their staff, the better.
Bernie Hogan is CEO of the Queensland Hotels Association.
