Is Your South Australian Workforce Covered? The RTW Coordinator Obligation You Need to Meet

Businesses that have large workforces in South Australia now have to appoint a Return to Work Coordinator. While they can have their own staff trained and certified to act in this role, there are clear benefits to appointing an external coordinator through an experienced workplace rehabilitation provider like KINNECT.

If you employ 30 or more people in South Australia for three continuous months, the Return to Work Act 2014 requires you to appoint a Return to Work (RTW) Coordinator. 

This rule applies to national organisations operating across multiple states — including those with a large workforce in Adelaide. 

You must appoint your RTW Coordinator within six months of meeting this threshold. If you don’t, penalties of up to $10,000 can apply under section 26 of the Act. Financial penalties can also be imposed if you fail to support your Coordinator properly or don’t comply with ReturnToWorkSA training and operational guidelines. 

• Read the full guidance for employers 

Beyond compliance, there’s a clear health benefit to appointing an RTW Coordinator.

Medical evidence shows that good work supports physical and mental wellbeing. When you coordinate recovery early and effectively, your people recover faster and return to work sooner.  

While one of your team can receive training to become a certified RTW Coordinator, an experienced, external RTW Coordinator ensures your injured workers receive timely, structured support — improving outcomes for both your workforce and your business. 

Why partner with KINNECT?

Our Wayville Team Manager, Kelly Courtney, is a certified Return-to-Work Coordinator and can fulfil this role for your organisation. 

Appointing Kelly as your external RTW Coordinator means you’ll benefit from: 

• 15 years’ experience in workplace rehabilitation and mediation within SA’s workers’ compensation scheme 

• End-to-end injury management — from prevention and early intervention to workplace rehabilitation and psychological services 

• Specialist skills and experience that ensure faster, more sustainable return-to-work outcomes 

• Working with a national workplace rehabilitation services provider who can support your teams across Australia 

• No added workload for your internal HR, Safety or Administration team 

• Confidence that you’ll remain compliant and avoid financial penalties 

If your organisation employs 30+ people in South Australia, now’s the time to review your RTW obligations. 

Contact our Wayville team to discuss appointing KINNECT as your RTW Coordinator and strengthening your injury management approach.