Queensland has passed legislation aligning the definition of “worker” for WorkCover purposes with the pay-as-you-go test applied by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

WorkCover says there will be no change for most people, who will continue to be covered for workers’ compensation.

But the legislation does affect contractors. People who may no longer be covered from July 1 include sub-contractors in the building, tow and taxi truck industries, plus people with “personal services business” determinations from the ATO.

People who work mainly for labour only, quote for jobs, provide their tools of trade or employ labour will no longer be covered.

An inquiry into the workers’ compensation scheme has heard confusion about coverage led to many complaints.