Glossary
Work Capacity Decision
A decision the workers compensation insurer makes about an injured worker's ability to work and earn, which can affect their weekly payments.
Also called: WCD
Definition
A work capacity decision is a decision the workers compensation insurer makes about an injured worker's current or future ability to work and earn, under the NSW workers compensation scheme. It can cover the person's capacity for work, what suitable employment is available to them, and how weekly payments are calculated. The decision is based on the medical, functional and vocational evidence on the claim. Workers have a right to request a review of a work capacity decision — internally with the insurer, and then through SIRA. A decision can change the amount or continuation of weekly payments.
In practice
A work capacity decision usually follows a review of the evidence about what a worker can earn, so the assessments behind it matter. Nexus's role is to supply clear, objective inputs: a functional capacity evaluation of what the person can safely do, or a vocational assessment of realistic employment options. We provide the coordination and the facts; the insurer makes the decision, and any review of it is a matter for the worker and the scheme.