The exiting national workers’ compensation scheme, one principal argues, is “certainly not fit for purpose” and shouldn’t be implemented nationwide. Here, she details why a better approach, covering workers of all types, is required if workers’ compensation is to better cater to the evolving needs of staff everywhere.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Maurice Blackburn principal Alison Barrett about why plaintiff work is so meaningful for her, the current landscape across all Australian jurisdictions for workers’ compensation, whether those schemes are fit for purpose, the existing issues with the Comcare scheme, and the looming consequences that will arise should those issues not be addressed.

Barrett also delves into how the cost-of-living crisis and high inflation may compound existing issues for claimants, what is currently being done to improve Comcare and workers’ compensation more broadly, how lawyers in this space can better navigate the current landscape, why mental health claims continue as a trend, and her broader guidance for lawyers looking to not only better service clients but also advocate for a better national approach.

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