Compensation Fund: Vocational Rehabilitation, Re-integration and Return-to-Work Programme

Compensation Fund: Vocational Rehabilitation, Re-integration and Return-to-Work Programme

• 14 August 2023
• Accounting
• South African Accounting Academy

It has been double jeopardy for clients who have acquired injuries or diseases at work and who end up losing their jobs. Thus, in the amendments of the COID Act 10 of 2022, a new chapter on orthotics and vocational rehabilitation was incorporated to complete the value chain of the Compensation Fund.

This programme thus seeks to present the concept of a multi–disciplinary based process of rehabilitation and reintegration of occupationally injured or employees who contracted occupational diseases, in order to address the tendency on part of some employers to dismiss employees on the basis of occupational injuries and or diseases.

Previously, the Fund only compensated employees on the injury on duty, paying medical benefits but never tapped into the issue of ensuring that injured workers are returned back to work successfully.

The programme offers full bursaries and short skills programmes to the injured workers if they want to reskill or upskill themselves to return back to work. The CF is also offering them opportunities to embark on incubation programmes so that they can start their own businesses and become self-sufficient. Already a significant number of occupationally injured workers have been trained to gain new skills and become entrepreneurs. Some of the trainees are now running businesses in clothing brands and agricultural businesses, some are doing diamond evaluation refineries and they are fully qualified. The CF has taken them through skills programmes with accredited service providers and they are happy about that.

In addition, the CF has a social responsibility to ensure that they look after the dependents of the injured workers and those that have lost their parents due to fatal occupational injuries or diseases by offering them bursaries to further their studies.

The bursary programme covers tuition fees, accommodation and also gives them allowance until they complete their qualifications.

Click here to access the Media Release:

https://www.labour.gov.za/compensation-fund-vocational-rehabilitation-and-re-integration-programme-offers-lifeline-to-injured-employees-and-dependent 

Relevance to Auditors, Independent Reviewers & Accountants:

• COIDA (as recently amended) is yet another piece of legislation that your clients must comply with, and which you must assess compliance with.  If they don’t comply with the relevant laws and regulations, you have certain reporting obligations in terms of NOCLAR (NOn-Compliance with Laws And Regulations) – this could include reporting to management, qualifying your audit opinion, reporting a Reportable Irregularity, etc.

• As the auditor/independent reviewer/accountant of your clients, you need to ensure that they are aware of and adhere to the latest COID Regulations.

• As an employer, you also need to comply with the amended COIDA in your workplace.

Relevance to Your Clients:

• As an employer, your clients must comply with COIDA, and they also need to be aware of and adhere to the latest Regulations in this regard - otherwise, they could be held liable.

• The Fund is advocating for employers to exhaust all rehabilitation and reintegration processes before laying off an employee. With their regulations, the CF is also aiming at pleading with the employer to recommend a particular training intervention that is linked to a particular vacant post within the organisation so that when they upskill or reskill an occupationally injured worker, they get an assurance that a person they are training will occupy a particular position upon successful completion of a vocational rehabilitation programme. The CF does not want to train people to sit at home, they want people to be absorbed back in the labour market.

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