Work Options

What Work Options does

Work Options is an Australian private workforce health services company headquartered in North Sydney, providing an integrated suite of workplace health, safety, and rehabilitation services to employers, workers compensation insurers, and individual workers across New South Wales and Victoria. Founded in 2001 and led by Managing Director and owner Karen Castledine, the company operates from eight physical offices — North Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Blacktown, Penrith, Wollongong, Coffs Harbour, and Tamworth — delivering services that include drug and alcohol testing and policy management, workplace rehabilitation and return-to-work programs, mental health consulting and employee assistance programs (EAP), pre-employment fitness-for-work assessments, workplace ergonomics services (including work-from-home packages at A$49-A$89 per worker), WHS training, and COVID-19 workplace surveillance testing. Customers span construction and civil engineering as the primary vertical (Mirvac, Keolis Downer, Haslin, TRN Group, SD Civil, Abergeldie, AJ Civil, Ward Civil), with additional exposure to transport/logistics (Border Express, SIMS Metal), waste management, healthcare (Ramsay Health Care, Anglicare), manufacturing (Brown Brothers), and education (Shore School).

The business is a professional services operation with no proprietary technology platform, public API, or disclosed AI/ML capability. Its technology footprint is limited to a member login portal, online referral forms with a 24-hour response commitment, an e-commerce training portal, and dedicated phone lines (including 1300TEST4DRUGS for drug testing requests). Revenue is generated primarily through professional services engagements funded via Australian workers compensation schemes — icare NSW, Workers Compensation, CTP, Comcare, ADF, and MCRS — supplemented by subscription-based EAP programs, per-assessment charges, and training course sales. Distribution combines enterprise field sales (anchored by the Preferred Provider Program, which embeds Work Options as the nominated rehabilitation provider for participating employers), inside sales via phone and online referral capture, and channel partnerships with industry associations including the Civil Contractors Federation (CCF), Waste Contractors & Recyclers Association (WCRA), and Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association NSW.

Work Options' competitive position rests on its 25+ year operating history, icare NSW Workers Compensation panel provider status (reappointed in 2023), broad service portfolio, and deep association relationships — including Karen Castledine's tenure as Secretary of ARPA NSW since 2012. The firm carries no institutional investment and operates as a founder/management-controlled entity. While revenue is not publicly disclosed, the combination of 11-50 employees, eight regional offices, and a multi-vertical enterprise customer roster is most consistent with a mid-single-digit to low-double-digit million AUD revenue scale.

Name

Work Options

Legal name

Work Options

Website

https://workoptions.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Work Options is an Australian private workforce health services company providing drug and alcohol testing, workplace rehabilitation, mental health/EAP, ergonomics, and WHS training to employers and insurers across NSW and Victoria, with construction and civil engineering as its primary vertical.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workplace Health and Safety Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Managed Workers’ Compensation (Loss Control, Claims & Return-to-Work Programs) (FSAJAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Worksite Financial Wellness & Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) (FSAIAMAN)

Keywords

• Workplace rehabilitation services
• Drug and alcohol testing
• Fitness for work assessments
• Employee assistance programs
• Workplace ergonomics services

Headquarters

HQ city

North Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Workplace Rehabilitation Services: Core return-to-work and workplace rehabilitation services for injured workers, funded through workers compensation schemes (Workers Compensation, CTP, Comcare, ADF, MCRS). Services include return to work plans, worksite assessments, functional assessments, vocational assessments, and ADL assessments.
2. Drug and Alcohol Testing Services: Workplace drug and alcohol testing including oral fluid and urine testing, policy development, and training. Revenue generated per test and through annual management system contracts.
3. Fitness for Work Assessments: Pre-employment and fitness for work assessments to ensure appropriate job-person matching. Charged per assessment.
4. Mental Health and Employee Assistance Programs: EAP services, mental health consulting, and training programs. Employee counselling programs offered as ongoing subscription or per-case basis.
5. Training Programs: Virtual and face-to-face training courses on drug and alcohol awareness, WHS, mental health, and ergonomics. Course-based pricing with group and individual options.
6. Workplace Ergonomics Services: Ergonomic assessments for offices and work-from-home setups. Packages range from basic to premium ($49-$89 per worker).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Work Options provides an integrated suite of workforce health services to Australian employers and workers compensation insurers, including drug and alcohol testing and management, workplace rehabilitation and return-to-work programs, pre-employment and fitness for work assessments, mental health consulting and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), workplace ergonomics assessments (including work-from-home setups), WHS training, and COVID-19 workplace surveillance testing. Revenue is generated through per-test, per-assessment, subscription (EAP), and course-based pricing, with most enterprise engagements negotiated through a Preferred Provider Program offering discounted services and dedicated account management.

Product overview

Work Options is a workforce health services company operating as a single integrated service platform rather than a modular software product. The company provides a comprehensive suite of workplace health and safety services including Drug and Alcohol Testing and Management, Fitness for Work Assessments, Workplace Rehabilitation, Mental Health Consulting and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Workplace Ergonomics Services, COVID-19 Workplace Surveillance Testing, and Workplace Health and Safety Training. These services are complemented by a library of training courses delivered virtually or face-to-face, covering topics such as mental health in isolated teams, drugs and alcohol management, ergonomics, and supervisor training. The company operates primarily in Australia with multiple office locations across NSW and Victoria, serving employers, insurers, and workers through the workers compensation system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drug and Alcohol Testing and Management

Quantifiable outcome

• 98.62% customer satisfaction in Australian Achiever Awards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• icare NSWcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Work Options was successfully reappointed on the icare Workplace Rehabilitation Provider panel in 2023 following a lengthy tender process. This allows Work Options to provide workplace rehabilitation services for NSW Workers Compensation claims managed through icare.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IPAR Rehabilitation: IPAR is one of Australia's largest workplace rehabilitation and injury management providers, delivering return-to-work services, fitness for work assessments, and occupational rehabilitation across multiple states. Directly comparable to Work Options on core rehab and panel-driven workers' compensation model.
• Konekt Australia: Konekt is a national workplace rehabilitation, employment services, and injury management provider operating across Australia. Competes head-to-head for icare and insurer panel work and offers a comparable return-to-work service suite.
• Altius Group: Altius delivers workplace rehabilitation, employment services, and vocational consulting across Australia, with significant panel positioning on workers' compensation schemes. Closely comparable service mix and customer base to Work Options.
• Recovre: Recovre is an Australian workplace rehabilitation and injury management specialist focused on return-to-work outcomes for employers and insurers. Directly competitive in the same workers' compensation rehabilitation channel.
• Recovery Partners: Recovery Partners provides workplace rehabilitation, injury management, and return-to-work services across Australia, often via insurer panel arrangements. Overlapping service offering and panel-driven GTM.
• Rehab Management: Rehab Management delivers occupational rehabilitation, injury prevention, and return-to-work services through insurance panels and employer contracts. Directly comparable in scope and go-to-market.
• Kairros: Kairros is an Australian workplace rehabilitation and injury management provider with multi-scheme panel access. Competes for the same workers' compensation rehab tenders as Work Options.
• MAX Solutions: MAX Solutions delivers employment services, workplace rehabilitation, and injury management with panel access across Australian schemes. Directly comparable in target customer (insurers, employers) and core rehab offering.

Broad incumbents

• APM Group (Australian Personnel Management): APM is one of Australia's largest human services providers with national reach across employment services, workplace rehabilitation, injury management, and allied health. Overlaps with Work Options on rehab and vocational services but at much greater scale and breadth.

Emerging players

• ELEV8 Consulting (or similar workplace drug testing specialists): Specialist workplace drug and alcohol testing and management providers in Australia overlap with Work Options' D&A service line, but typically lack the full rehabilitation and EAP suite. Comparable on the testing leg of the service mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Work Options