WorkCover is a government-run workers’ compensation scheme that provides benefits and support to workers who are injured or become ill as a result of their work.

Who is eligible to make a WorkCover claim?

Any employee in NSW who suffers a work-related injury or illness may be eligible to claim.

What benefits can I receive under WorkCover?

You may receive wage support, medical care, rehabilitation, and lump sum payments for permanent impairment.

Are WorkCover benefits limited or capped?

Yes, benefits are capped and depend on your earnings, injury type, and level of impairment.

How is compensation calculated?

Compensation is based on your pre-injury income, medical assessments, and work capacity.

Can I claim lump sum compensation?

Only workers with a permanent impairment above a set threshold may claim this compensation.

Will I receive weekly payments while I’m unable to work?

Yes, weekly payments cover a percentage of the income you lose while unable to work.

Workers Comp · Inner Sydney

Workers Comp in Sydney — Where to Start

Injured at work? Here’s exactly what to do next.

Plenty of Sydney workers turn up with the same complaint — a roof tiler with damaged ligaments after a fall on a pitch. It traces back to one early visit: an early GP visit with a clinic that has done these claims more than once. In any workers compensation claim, the front-end appointment carries the load.

Book a WorkCover Doctor (02) 7238 7379

Workers Comp Help in Sydney

The first 3 steps

Workers Comp in Sydney — How It Starts

See a WorkCover doctor

For RSI, shoulder tension, or stress claims common in office work, you'll see a WorkCover-trained GP first — no employer approval needed.

Book a doctor in Sydney

Get your Certificate of Capacity

Your doctor issues this on the first visit. It’s the legal document that proves you have a work injury and tells the insurer how much you can work and what treatment you need. No paperwork on your end — the doctor handles it.

Notify your employer

You’re legally required to tell your employer about a work injury — a text or email is enough. Once they get your Certificate of Capacity, they pass it to their workers comp insurer. The claim opens, and wages and treatment get covered from that point.

Common workers comp claims in Sydney

Workers comp claims in Sydney most often come from the local finance and professional services workforces, alongside the back, shoulder, and stress injuries common across every industry.

Sydney CBD packs finance, legal, professional services and government workers into the tower core, with hospitality, retail and construction filling out the daytime workforce. Workers compensation matters in the Sydney CBD typically involve falls on busy stairs and lobbies, kitchen burns and cuts at the city's many venues, scaffolding incidents on ongoing tower works and the repetitive-strain neck and wrist injuries that build up after years at trading desks.

Get help