Recovering at work usually beats recovering away from it — here's how to do it well
For most injuries, recovering at work on suitable, modified duties leads to better outcomes than staying away. ACC funds services like Stay at Work and Back to Work to support this. The law puts the rehabilitation responsibility on the injured person, with the employer's role being to facilitate it — through a planned, graduated return to safe, suitable duties.
For most injuries, an appropriate, supported return to work is part of the recovery — not something to wait until after it.
The evidence behind ACC's approach is that recovering at work, on suitable duties matched to what the person can safely do, generally produces better outcomes than a long absence. Staying connected to work supports physical recovery, mental health, confidence and income, and reduces the risk of a short-term injury turning into long-term incapacity. “Recover at work” doesn't mean rushing someone back to full duties — it means a planned, graduated return within their genuine capacity.
A common misconception is that rehabilitation is entirely the employer's job. It isn't.
Under the Accident Compensation Act 2001, the injured person takes responsibility for their own rehabilitation, and the employer does not carry sole responsibility — the employer's role is to facilitate the process. In practice that means working alongside the injured worker, their treating health professionals, ACC and any rehabilitation provider to make a safe, suitable return possible. It's a collaboration, with each party playing their part.
ACC funds vocational rehabilitation services so you don't have to navigate a return to work alone.
| Service | What it does |
|---|---|
| Stay at Work | Early-intervention support to help an injured person stay at, or return to, their current job on suitable duties and hours. |
| Back to Work | Where the injury changes capacity for the same role — assessing the work and the person, and finding suitable duties, a new role, or work with another employer. |
| Vocational rehabilitation | Broader support, including functional rehabilitation, to regain the capacity needed for sustainable work. |
These services are funded by ACC where the injury is covered. Referral and approval processes apply — talk to ACC or a provider about the current pathway for your situation.
A structured, individual plan turns goodwill into a return that actually sticks.
Injury management and injury prevention belong together.
A good return-to-work process sits alongside your incident investigation: one supports the injured person, the other fixes what caused the harm so it doesn't happen again. Treating them as a pair — care for the person, and learning for the system — is what mature injury management looks like.
Manage injuries and return-to-work plans in one place. Book a demo and we'll show you how it works — free 30-day trial included.
For most injuries, recovering at work on suitable, modified duties leads to better outcomes than a long absence. Staying connected to work supports physical recovery, mental health, confidence and income, and reduces the chance of a short-term injury becoming long-term incapacity.
Not solely. Under the Accident Compensation Act 2001 the injured person takes responsibility for their own rehabilitation, and the employer's role is to facilitate it — working with the worker, their health professionals, ACC and any rehabilitation provider to make a safe, suitable return possible.
ACC funds vocational rehabilitation, including Stay at Work (early support to stay at or return to the current job) and Back to Work (where the injury changes capacity, finding suitable duties, a new role, or work with another employer). These are funded where the injury is covered, with referral and approval processes.
Modified or alternative tasks that fit the person's current capacity and their medical advice, so they can work safely while recovering. They're usually part of a graduated return that builds tasks and hours back up over time, and they must meet your health and safety duties so they don't cause re-injury.
Engage early and stay in respectful contact, identify suitable duties aligned with medical advice, plan a graduated return with a written plan covering tasks, hours and timeframes, keep the duties genuinely safe, and review and adjust as the person recovers.
