ACC has incredible data covering injuries by industry, ethnicity, region, sex (only the male & female options are recorded), injury type, average days off, the list goes on.
We use this information extensively to benchmark client businesses and look at ways to prevent injuries from happening.
Why ACC doesn’t offer this information readily to all industries is a question we cannot answer. Along the same lines of where do unicorns live? It’s part mythical, part weird, and part, gosh, we haven’t got a clue!
That’s ok, we use this information instead which makes us look good so we’re happy.
So, what does this have to do with med certs?
Well, med certs are the gatekeepers to ACC claims and therefore ACC statistics. We find this quite funny given med certs are not even a legal requirement, yet they dictate everything. Silly.
I digress.
In previous posts we talked about the NZ Medical Council who oversee doctors and GP’s. These are the folk who write the med certs in case you’re wondering. The Medical Council is updating their position on how med certs should be prepared. Sadly, it doesn’t actually reference ACC; it doesn’t reference the fact that ACC cannot consider health factors impacting a workplace claim; and most of all, it doesn’t reference ACC’s requirements for how med certs should be prepared.
Disconnect?
Uhuh, yep, just a tad.
So, med certs are created on behalf of ACC. They determine time-off which triggers ACC penalties for the employer via Experience Rating. Med certs should take into account the employers position including alternative duties, rehabilitation policy, etc but we all know in reality they typically do not.
So, why are we and why is ACC relying on them so much?
Welcome to our world. They shouldn’t be. You shouldn’t be.
If you want a proper rehabilitation framework that does not block you at the first step, then reach out. We’ll take you through our Acute Stage rehab process and show you how to turn this space (ACC Claims) into a profit centre rather than a compliance overhead.
Contact Sue via sue@managecompany.co.nz | 0800 747 569.
