Employ Health’s on-site physiotherapists support employees through hands-on rehabilitation and tailored exercise programs, contributing to a proactive injury management culture.
This close engagement with workers allows our Rehabilitation Advisors to understand each employee’s job demands and recovery progress intimately.
By being embedded in the workplace, they can adjust treatment plans in real-time and advise on suitable duties, ensuring a safe and sustainable return to work. Our team coordinates every aspect of an injured worker’s rehabilitation – from initial assessment and therapy to liaising with doctors, supervisors, and insurers – so nothing falls through the cracks.
Overview
A Rehabilitation Advisor is your expert partner in managing workplace injury recovery and return-to-work (RTW) processes.
At Employ Health, our Rehabilitation Advisors are typically experienced occupational health physiotherapists who provide timely, supportive, and coordinated rehabilitation for injured workers. We know that early and well-managed intervention improves pain, function, and quality of life for employees, and leads to quicker, more sustainable recoveries. Acting as a single point of contact, the Rehabilitation Advisor works closely with all stakeholders – the injured employee, treating healthcare providers, your Return-to-Work Coordinator, and insurance case managers – to develop and implement an individualized rehabilitation plan. By integrating clinical expertise with on-site workplace knowledge, we create a culture that genuinely values health, safety, and recovery.
Our approach is both reactive and proactive.
This means we not only help the worker recover from their current injury, but we also identify and address root causes to prevent future injuries. Because Employ Health often already delivers onsite services for our partners, our Rehabilitation Advisors have an intimate understanding of your business – from the physical demands of each role to the nuances of your workplace culture. This insight allows us to tailor rehabilitation and suitable duties that fit your operations seamlessly. The result is a more efficient recovery process, reduced downtime, and assurance that your injured team members are cared for every step of the way.
Benefits
Partnering with Employ Health for a Rehabilitation Advisor service delivers tangible benefits for both your employees and your organization:
Faster, Safe Return-to-Work:
With prompt on-site care and coordinated rehab plans, injured workers get back to work sooner and safely. Early intervention significantly increases return-to-work rates within 6–12 months, helping maintain productivity.
Reduced Workers’ Compensation Costs:
Proactive rehabilitation can decrease the number of lost-time injuries and workers’ compensation claims, which in turn lowers your insurance premiums. By addressing injuries early and effectively, we help control the direct and indirect costs of workplace injuries.
Personalized Recovery Plans:
Each rehabilitation plan is customized to the employee’s injury, role, and abilities. We focus on improving functional capacity and gradually conditioning the worker back to their full duties. This individualized approach means employees aren’t rushed back too soon, reducing risk of re-injury.
Improved Communication & Compliance:
Our Rehabilitation Advisor keeps all parties informed with regular updates. They liaise with doctors, therapists, and your internal teams to ensure suitable duties and medical certificates align. This not only ensures legal compliance with injury management obligations but also fosters trust and transparency in the process.
Boosted Morale and Retention:
When employees see their company investing in their recovery, it creates goodwill. A well-supported injured worker feels valued and is more likely to engage positively in rehab. Over time, providing such support improves workplace morale and loyalty, contributing to a positive safety culture
A simple, flexible approach to rehabilitation.
Engaging a Rehabilitation Advisor through Employ Health is a straightforward and flexible process, tailored to your needs.
Here’s how our service typically works:
Injury Triage and Assessment:
As soon as a workplace injury occurs or an employee reports pain, our Rehabilitation Advisor springs into action. If you have our onsite Rapid Response™ Physiotherapy service, a physiotherapist will assess and provide first-line treatment immediately. Otherwise, our advisor will coordinate a prompt assessment. Early clinical evaluation establishes the nature and severity of the injury and initiates pain management right away.
Individualised Rehabilitation Plan:
The Rehabilitation Advisor develops a comprehensive rehab plan based on the injury and the worker’s job requirements. This plan will include on-site physiotherapy treatment (e.g. manual therapy, exercise programs), work modifications as needed (light or alternate duties), and a graduated return-to-work schedule. We utilize tools like job task analysis and Job Dictionaries to align the plan with the critical physical demands of the worker’s role.
Coordination with Stakeholders:
Our advisor serves as the liaison between all parties. They communicate with treating doctors and allied health providers to incorporate medical guidance into the workplace rehab plan. They work hand-in-hand with your internal Return-to-Work Coordinator or WHS Manager to implement suitable duties and any workplace adjustments. Regular check-ins are held with the employee and their supervisor to monitor progress. As AHPRA-registered clinicians, our onsite professionals diligently update all stakeholders and ensure everyone is on the same page.
Monitoring and Adjustment:
Rehabilitation is an ongoing process. Our Rehabilitation Advisor continuously monitors the worker’s recovery through weekly (or as-needed) reviews. Thanks to Employ Health’s digital health platform, we provide real-time updates on the employee’s functional progress and any task or capacity assessments. If the worker experiences difficulties or plateaus, we adjust the rehab plan promptly – for instance, modifying duties further, introducing new therapies, or consulting with specialists.
Safe & Sustainable RTW:
The ultimate goal is a safe and sustainable return to pre-injury duties. Our advisor will clear a worker for full duties only when objective capacity measures and clinical signs indicate readiness. Even after the worker is back, we often provide follow-up support ensuring they continue with any recommended exercises and that no new issues arise. We also leverage insights from the case to advise on preventative measures (for example, if an injury revealed a hazard, we’ll alert your safety team to address it).
A comprehensive, hands-on process.
Throughout this process, documentation is meticulous. We handle the injury management paperwork, from initial injury reports to work capacity certificates and insurer communications. This comprehensive, hands-on approach means your managers can focus on operations while we navigate the complexities of rehab and return-to-work.
Why Choose Us
Choosing Employ Health to fulfill the Rehabilitation Advisor role means choosing a partner with unparalleled expertise and resources in workplace health:
Integrated Onsite Presence:
Unlike off-site providers, Employ Health works right at your workplace, allowing us to respond immediately to injuries and manage rehab in the context of the actual job environment. We see what your employees do day-to-day, so our recommendations are practical and effective. Our onsite team becomes part of your team – a trusted health professional embedded in your business. This leads to a deeper understanding of every job role and a level of trust with workers that speeds up recovery.
Industry-Leading Expertise:
All of our Rehabilitation Advisors are full-time occupational health professionals who focus exclusively on workplace injury management. They bring extensive experience from servicing diverse industries across Australia and New Zealand. This means they’ve encountered a wide range of injuries and workplace setups, and can apply best practices to even the most complex cases. When challenges arise, our team’s collective knowledge ensures innovative solutions.
Best-in-Class Technology:
Employ Health leverages a unique digital Health Hub platform to support injury management. Our secure system tracks every injury case and captures relevant data – treatment notes, functional assessment scores, progress timelines – all in one place. We produce customized, meaningful reports to show you the metrics that matter, whether it’s time lost, tasks modified, or recovery milestones. With our platform’s real-time reporting, you’ll never be left waiting weeks for an update – you can see the status of a worker’s rehabilitation at a glance.
Proactive and Preventative Approach:
We don’t just focus on the injury at hand. Our philosophy is to help you learn from every incident and reduce future risk. During rehabilitation, our advisors analyze contributing factors – was there an ergonomic issue? A training gap? We give actionable feedback to your safety and HR teams. For example, if a back injury occurred due to a manual handling practice, we might recommend a Manual Task Risk Assessment or a Manual Handling Training session for that team. This way, partnering with us for rehab also strengthens your overall injury prevention program.
Seamless Integration with Employ Health Services:
Employ Health offers a full spectrum of workplace health solutions – from to wellness programs. If you’re already utilising our onsite physiotherapy or other services, a Rehabilitation Advisor will amplify those efforts by bridging treatment to return-to-work. Even if you’re new to us, we can quickly connect you to additional resources as needed (e.g. ergonomic assessments or mental health support) through our network. This holistic capability is what sets us apart – we manage the whole person, not just the claim.
National Reach, Consistent Quality:
Whether you operate in one location or nationwide, Employ Health has you covered. Our team spans all major states in Australia and New Zealand, ensuring you receive consistent service across sites. We pride ourselves on reliable service delivery as a collective “tribe,” so even if one advisor is on leave, our broader team steps in to maintain continuity. You get the resources of a large company with the personal touch of a dedicated consultant.
Clinical excellence, workplace insight, & technological innovation.
In short, Employ Health combines clinical excellence, workplace insight, and technological innovation to deliver rehabilitation outcomes that benefit your people and your bottom line. And because we often start by running your onsite physio program, we come in already knowing your workplace intimately – giving us a head start in managing any injuries that occur.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly does a Rehabilitation Advisor do, and how is it different from a Return-to-Work (RTW) Coordinator?
A Rehabilitation Advisor focuses on the clinical and practical management of an individual’s recovery at work. This includes assessing injuries, arranging and providing treatment (often via our onsite physiotherapist), planning suitable duties, and liaising with doctors and insurers. In many cases, the Rehabilitation Advisor works hand-in-hand with or as your RTW Coordinator – ensuring the medical aspects and the workplace logistics align. While an internal RTW Coordinator handles company policy and communication, our Rehabilitation Advisor brings specialized health expertise and an outside perspective to support the injured worker in all domains – work tasks, workplace adjustments, and personal recovery. Together, these roles ensure the worker has both the organizational support and the clinical guidance needed for a successful return to work.
Do we need a Rehabilitation Advisor if we already have an onsite physiotherapist or an injury management team?
Even if you have great resources in place, a Rehabilitation Advisor can add significant value. Often, our onsite physiotherapists naturally take on much of the rehab coordination – but having a dedicated advisor means there’s someone explicitly ensuring that every step of the process (treatment, documentation, stakeholder communication, prevention feedback) is managed proactively. They can work alongside your team or fill any gaps, bringing specialized knowledge of workers’ comp and rehab best practices. In short, if you’re aiming for best-practice injury management, a Rehabilitation Advisor helps coordinate efforts, maintain momentum, and achieve outcomes faster. For organizations with limited internal resources, our service can effectively serve as your injury management department, shouldering the burden so your HR and safety teams aren’t overwhelmed.
How does Employ Health’s Rehabilitation Advisor interact with insurers and doctors?
We act as a facilitator and advocate in the treatment and claims process. With the injured worker’s consent, our Rehabilitation Advisor will stay in regular contact with treating doctors, physiotherapists, and any other healthcare providers. We ensure they’re aware of suitable duties available at work and we gather their input on the worker’s capacity. We also coordinate directly with the insurer or claims manager – for example, providing any required updates, rehabilitation progress reports, or clarifications about the worker’s job demands. By maintaining open communication, we help avoid misunderstandings and delays. Our goal is to make sure everyone is working off the same information and towards the same goal: getting the employee healthy and back to work safely. This consistent liaison often speeds up claim approvals and fosters a collaborative relationship between the employer, employee, and insurer.
What kind of reporting do we receive through the Rehabilitation Advisor service?
You will receive clear, concise reports tailored to your needs. Typically, we provide initial injury assessment reports, progress updates after each review, and a closure report when the case is resolved. Thanks to our digital platform, these reports highlight meaningful metrics – such as improvement in range of motion or strength, work capacity changes, days lost, and duties modifications over time. We also include any recommendations for preventing future injuries. Additionally, you’ll have access to our online dashboard which can display real-time data on all active cases (with privacy controls in place). Many clients appreciate that they can quickly get answers – whether it’s “What’s the status of John’s shoulder injury?” or “How many days lost to injury do we have this quarter?” – without wading through paperwork. Our reporting keeps you informed at a glance and helps you make data-driven decisions to improve workplace health.
Contact us
Get expert support for workplace rehabilitation and return to work.
If you’re managing workplace injuries or want to strengthen your rehabilitation and return-to-work processes, we’re here to help. Our Rehabilitation Advisors work alongside your team to provide practical, coordinated support that leads to safer recoveries and better outcomes for everyone involved.