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In Victoria, workers compensation insurance, usually called WorkCover, is provided by WorkSafe Victoria, which is both the insurer and the regulator. You must register if you pay more than $7,500 in remuneration in a financial year or employ any apprentice, and WorkSafe must receive your registration within 60 days of first meeting those requirements. The average premium rate for 2026-27 is 1.8% of rateable remuneration.
When you register you choose one of WorkSafe's agents, which manage your policy and claims on WorkSafe's behalf. This page explains the registration rules, how premiums are calculated and when your claims history starts to count, the test for contractors, where sole traders and company owners stand, and the penalties for not registering.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team · Last reviewed
| Victoria | |
|---|---|
| Insurer and regulator | WorkSafe Victoria |
| Agents | Allianz, EML, Gallagher Bassett and DXC Claims Management Services; you choose one when you register |
| Who must register | Employers paying more than $7,500 in remuneration a financial year, or employing any apprentice |
| Registration deadline | WorkSafe must receive it within 60 days of first meeting the requirements |
| How premiums are set | Rateable remuneration × your industry rate; claims history counts once remuneration reaches $200,000 |
| Average premium rate | 1.8% of rateable remuneration for 2026-27 |
| Sole traders and partners | Don't register unless they employ workers; if your own company employs you, you are its worker |
| How to register | Online through WorkSafe's Online Employer Services, or by post to your chosen agent |
| Penalty for not registering | Up to $43,618 for individuals or $218,088 for businesses, plus unpaid premium and any compensation WorkSafe paid |
| Law | Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 |
Victoria has one workers compensation insurer: WorkSafe Victoria. It doesn't compete with private insurers, but it does use agents to run policies and claims, and WorkSafe says that as an employer you are required to choose one. Its agent list names Allianz, EML, Gallagher Bassett and DXC Claims Management Services, and WorkSafe's own team manages a small number of claims directly.
The agent you pick handles your registration, premium notices and any claims, but the policy terms and the premium method are WorkSafe's, so they are the same whichever agent you choose. What differs is service.
WorkSafe says you don't need to register if you have no apprentices and don't pay, and aren't liable to pay, more than $7,500 in remuneration in a financial year. Cross either line and you must register. Remuneration is wider than wages: it can include things like super contributions and some payments to contractors who count as workers, so check WorkSafe's definition when you estimate it.
The deadline is 60 days. WorkSafe must receive your registration within 60 days of the date you first meet the requirements, so a business that hires its first employee part-way through the year needs to watch the $7,500 figure.
Your premium starts with your rateable remuneration multiplied by the rate for your industry. The method is set each year by the Premiums Order (No. 34 was gazetted on 29 April 2026), and the industry rates are published in the Government Gazette. For 2026-27 WorkSafe's average premium rate is 1.8% of the state's rateable remuneration.
Your claims history only starts to matter once you're larger. WorkSafe says that if your rateable remuneration is less than $200,000, your premium won't be affected by previous claims. Above that, your performance is compared with your industry's, and your rate can move up or down, with increases generally capped at 30%. Small and new employers pay remuneration multiplied by the industry rate.
| Rateable remuneration | How the premium is worked out |
|---|---|
| Up to $7,500 a year, no apprentices | No need to register |
| Above $7,500 and under $200,000 | Remuneration × industry rate; previous claims don't affect the premium |
| $200,000 or more | Remuneration × a rate adjusted for your claims performance against your industry; increases generally capped at 30% |
WorkSafe's guidance asks two questions to test whether a contractor is really your worker: do you have the legal right to control not only the result of the work, but also what and how the work is done, and does the contractor's business depend on you for its existence? If the answers point to yes, the person may be your worker for WorkCover even if they invoice you with an ABN, and their pay counts towards your remuneration.
WorkSafe says you don't need to register if you're a sole trader or an individual in a partnership and don't employ anyone else. That also means WorkCover doesn't cover your own injuries, so look at personal accident and income cover.
Company owners are different. WorkSafe says that if your company employs you personally, you are a worker of your own company, and it needs to register. Many small business owners who have incorporated don't realise this.
You register online through WorkSafe's Online Employer Services portal, or by posting the form to the agent you've chosen. You'll need an estimate of your rateable remuneration and a description of your business so the right industry rate applies.
WorkSafe lists the consequences of not registering when you should: a penalty of up to $43,618 for individuals or $218,088 for businesses, repaying the premium you should have paid, and repaying any compensation WorkSafe paid to your injured workers.
Each state and territory runs its own scheme, and an employer registers where its workers are based. If you employ people in more than one state, check each scheme, or see the eight schemes side by side.
You must register if you pay more than $7,500 in remuneration in a financial year or employ any apprentice. WorkSafe must receive your registration within 60 days of first meeting those requirements.
Your rateable remuneration multiplied by your industry rate, adjusted for claims performance once remuneration reaches $200,000. The average premium rate for 2026-27 is 1.8% of rateable remuneration, but industry rates vary widely.
WorkSafe's agent list names Allianz, EML, Gallagher Bassett and DXC Claims Management Services. You choose one when you register; the policy terms and premium method are the same whichever you choose.
Not if they don't employ anyone. But if your own company employs you, you're a worker of that company and it must register.
WorkSafe says you can face a penalty of up to $43,618 for individuals or $218,088 for businesses, and have to repay the premium you should have paid and any compensation WorkSafe paid to your workers.
WorkCover is the common name for the workers compensation insurance WorkSafe Victoria provides. WorkSafe is both the insurer and the workplace safety regulator.
Better Rate Mate is an independent comparison site. We are not a workers compensation insurer, agent or regulator, and this page is general information for employers, not advice. For a policy, a premium or a claim, contact the scheme or a licensed insurer directly. If you have been injured at work, your employer's insurer and the regulator listed above can explain your entitlements.
