glossary Glossary 2 min read

WorkCover Queensland

WorkCover Queensland is the exclusive workers'-compensation insurer for Queensland (bar self-insurers). Employers must hold a policy before employing workers.

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WorkCover Queensland is the Queensland workers’-compensation insurer: the effectively exclusive provider of accident insurance for work-related injuries in Queensland, apart from approved self-insurers. A WorkCover Queensland policy covers a business’s workers if someone is injured or made ill by work (verified 2026-05-25, WorkSafe QLD).

What it does:

  • Provides the accident insurance (workers’ compensation) policy that Queensland employers are legally required to hold.
  • When a claim is accepted, covers lost wages and reasonable medical and treatment costs, with a focus on rehabilitation and return to work.
  • Is funded by employer premiums, set by industry classification and claims experience.

For a Queensland builder:

  • You must hold an up-to-date WorkCover Queensland accident insurance policy (or be an approved self-insurer) before you employ workers. It is a legal requirement.
  • Your premium is driven by your industry classification (WIC) and claims history, so declare wages accurately.
  • It is separate from QLD building licensing (QBCC) and from the work health and safety regulator: WorkCover is the injury-insurance side.

WorkCover Queensland is QLD’s equivalent of WorkCover WA, icare (NSW), WorkSafe (VIC), and ReturnToWorkSA: each state runs its own workers’-comp scheme.

Also known as: WorkCover QLD.

See also


Last updated: 2026-05-25. Verified: 2026-05-25. Quarterly review for currency.