Gov’t expands rehab programme for employees injured at work

Two industries were added to the coverage. 

The Labour Department has expanded the coverage of the Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work to include the catering and hotel industry and the transportation and logistics industry.

Prior to this, the programme only covers employees in the construction industry.

The programme is funded by the government, thus beneficiaries only need to pay the same fees as public hospital services for receiving private rehabilitation treatment services, the department said. With the waiting time for services saved, participants can benefit from timely treatments, it added.

Furthermore, employers’ productivity is maintained since the programme helps injured workers to recover and return to work as soon as possible.

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The government emphasised that employees should be engaged in the covered industries at the time of the work injury.

Employees in the catering and hotel industry and transportation and logistics industry will be covered by the programme if their injury occurs on or after April 1.

“Additionally, the employees should have sustained a musculoskeletal injury as a result of the work injury or contracted a musculoskeletal occupational disease prescribed under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance and have been, or are expected to be, absent from work for six weeks or more because of the injury,” the government noted.