How quickly must my employer notify the insurer after a workplace injury?

Under s44 of the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW), the employer must notify the insurer within 48 hours of becoming aware of the injury. Those 48 hours include weekends and public holidays — the clock doesn't pause, so becoming aware Friday afternoon still means a Sunday deadline.

Does icare handle my claim directly?

Not since a January 2023 reform. icare is the NSW Government agency that underwrites and administers the Nominal Insurer scheme, but Claims Service Providers — EML, Allianz, GIO, Gallagher Bassett and QBE — handle assessment, payments and case management. SIRA (State Insurance Regulatory Authority) is the independent regulator that sets scheme policy; it doesn't handle individual claims either.

What changed for psychological injury claims from 1 July 2026?

Primary psychological injury is compensable only where it's caused by a defined "relevant event" — bullying, excessive work demands, or racial or sexual harassment — with a real and direct connection to employment as the main contributing factor. The Whole Person Impairment threshold for lump-sum access rose from 15% to 25%, and weekly payments are generally capped at 130 weeks. Eligibility is a multi-factor test, not a simple checklist — see our full breakdown for the detail.

Does the 48-hour rule apply if my employer is a self-insurer?

No — the s44 duty to notify an external insurer within 48 hours doesn't apply the same way where the employer is a licensed self-insurer, since there's no separate Nominal Insurer relationship. Check your employer's internal injury-reporting procedure instead.

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Last verified: 26 July 2026

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