What is an occupation rating?
Occupation ratings adjust your insurance premiums to reflect the level of insurance risk based on your usual type of work.
When you apply to become a Personal Account member, or to modify your insurance cover, we may ask you to select your occupation rating.
Does this apply to you?
As a Personal Account member, we may ask you to select your occupation rating when you apply:
- for new insurance cover
- to change your existing insurance cover, or
- to transfer any existing insurance cover into UniSuper.
Occupation ratings don’t apply to Accumulation 1, Accumulation 2 and Defined Benefit Division (DBD) members.
If you’re still unsure if this applies to you, please call us on 1800 331 685 or email us.
Our occupation ratings
Professional/office work
- Professional (requires a university qualification), administrative, managerial or clerical roles.
- No regular manual work.
- Your work doesn’t fall into the special risk classification.
Example occupations: professor/lecturer, lawyer/solicitor, administrator, medical doctor, bookkeeper, IT systems operator.
Light manual
- Regular, light manual work (lightweight lifting, carrying or stocking only).
- No regular use of heavy machinery or heavy equipment.
Example occupations: chef, electrician, field surveyor, florist, retail, nurse, physical education teacher, plumber.
Heavy manual
- Regular use of heavy machinery or heavy equipment.
- Manual labour, such as regularly bending, lifting or carrying heavy loads.
- Driving a motor vehicle for most of the day over short distances.
Example occupations: labourer, cleaner, short distance courier, farmer, tailor, wait staff.
If your occupation falls in this classification, you can’t apply for:
- increased cover due to a life event or salary increase
- Income Protection cover with a five-year or ‘to age 65’ benefit period.
Special risk
- Duties that are hazardous (risky or dangerous).
- Hazardous locations or working environments, such as long-distance driving, working at heights, underground, at sea, underwater or in an aircraft.
- Work in industries that rapidly change or are unpredictable, such as professional sportspeople, entertainers, creative artists or media personalities.
Example occupations: crane operator, diver, long distance truck driver, pilot, actor, TV presenter.
If your occupation falls in this classification, you can’t apply for:
- increased cover due to a life event or salary increase
- Income Protection cover with a five-year or ‘to age 65’ benefit period.
How do I check the occupation rating currently applied to me?
Do you have existing insurance cover with your Personal Account?
Log in to your online account and navigate to 'Insurance' to check the occupation rating that's currently applied to you.
When to update your occupation rating
If you aren’t making changes to your insurance cover then you don’t need to update your occupation rating.
You may need to update your occupation rating when you apply for cover or to modify your existing cover.
Want to know more about occupation ratings?
For more information about occupation ratings, read our Insurance in your super booklet (PDF, 2MB).
If you have any questions about occupation ratings, please call us on 1800 331 685 or email us.