Access to Wise

Workers
To access a WISE placement, workers must have CWC and be:

• unable to return to work with the injury employer
• able to work 15 hours or more work per week
• able to complete the WISE placement prior to attaining retirement age

All workers participating in a NES service period are WISE eligible if placed in employment recognised by the VWA as appropriate for WISE whether they are receiving weekly benefits or not.

WISE cannot be used for a worker:

• wishing to pursue self-employment.
• of a relative of a director or board member of a company.

Agent approval of a WISE placement
A worker and their OR provider must have approval from the worker's WorkCover Agent prior to seeking or finalising a WISE placement with an Employer. When considering a WISE placement, the WorkCover Agent and the worker's OR provider should work closely together to ensure that the employment being offered is appropriate to the worker's current work capacity.

Where a WISE placement is offered to a worker, an agent must arrange for an OR provider to complete a workplace assessment prior to the worker commencing the WISE placement to ensure that the worker is being placed in suitable and safe employment.

Employers
To access a WISE subsidy, employers must be able to offer durable part or full time employment and have a current WorkCover policy (except for a self-insurer)

The employer must understand that WISE payments are a wage subsidy and are not intended to constitute the worker's entire salary. A safe and healthy work environment must be provided and the worker must be monitored and supported to ensure a durable WISE placement

A worker must be employed under the same employment awards and entitlements that apply for any other non-subsidised workers within the workplace and WISE employers must meet their obligations to the worker in areas such as income tax and payroll.

Where a worker is placed under WISE, a WISE employer must include the gross wages or salary paid directly to the worker as part of their remuneration advice for WorkCover insurance policy purposes.

As WISE payments are made directly to the WISE employer, these monies are not included in remuneration advice for WorkCover insurance premium purposes..

The WISE employer requests the WISE payments by forwarding the relevant Employer Payment Request forms to the agent who manages the worker’s claim.

The following types of businesses are not able to access WISE:

• group training organisations
• labour hire companies
• employment agencies.