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New Chronic Mental Stress Policy Now Available
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At the WSIB, we know that the mental health of Ontarians in the workplace is just as important as our physical health and safety. After extensive consultations, we created a new Chronic Mental Stress policy and updated our Traumatic Stress policy.
Starting January 1, 2018, people may be eligible for WSIB benefits if they have chronic mental stress caused by their workplace. To be eligible for WSIB benefits, the chronic mental stress must be predominantly caused by a substantial stressor in the workplace. If a claim is allowed, we will help with recovery and return to work. WSIB benefits can include psychological assessment, treatment, prescription medications, and wage replacement.
Also in January, the WSIB's new Community Mental Health Program will be available to give people access to psychological assessment and treatment. Developed in partnership with the Ontario Psychological Association, the program is designed for people who:
- have a registered WSIB claim or recurrence;
- experience a psychological reaction secondary to a work-related physical injury; or
- experience a psychological response to a workplace incident or cumulative incidents, like traumatic mental stress, chronic mental stress, or first responder Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
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Increasing Fairness with the 2018 Indexation Factor
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Each year, the WSIB makes a cost-of-living adjustment to help ensure benefit payments to people keep pace with inflation. This is known as indexing.
Earlier this month, we began sending out annual indexing letters to people injured at work and their survivors to inform them they will be receiving a 2018 indexing adjustment of 1.5 per cent (to reflect the Consumer Price Index).
Due to a change in legislation, starting on January 1, 2018, we will be applying a single indexing factor - the Consumer Price Index - to the amount payable for all indexed benefit types.
The single indexing factor replaces the old system that used multiple factors and methods to index benefits depending on the type of benefit.
For example, in 2017 most people who received full Loss of Earnings benefits received a cost-of-living adjustment of 1.4 per cent to reflect the Consumer Price Index. Yet, those who received partial Loss of Earnings benefits from the WSIB, received an inflation adjustment of 1.0 per cent. This year, those on full and partial Loss of Earnings benefits will receive an adjustment of 1.5 per cent.
"Applying the Consumer Price Index to the amount payable will simplify how benefits are indexed and make it easier to understand and anticipate benefit amounts in future years," said Elizabeth Witmer, Chair.
"This will also increase fairness by applying the same indexing factor to both partial and full wage-loss benefits," added Thomas Teahen, President and CEO.
For more information about 2018 indexing amounts, please visit
www.wsib.on.ca
.
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Four Technical Rate Sessions Held to Help Employers |
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This November, the WSIB hosted four technical rate sessions to help employers better understand how we calculate the 2018 premium rates.
Thank you to the many employers who attended these sessions both in person, and via webinar.
In 2018 we will be
reducing the average premium rate by 3.3 per cent
, while incorporating the expected costs of Chronic Mental Stress legislation. This is the second year in a row we have reduced our average premium rate, leading to a cumulative drop of almost 10 per cent in the cost of the WSIB's workplace injury and illness insurance coverage in Ontario.
"The technical rate sessions were a great way to inform the employers who pay WSIB premiums about how we set rates at the class and rate group level to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of our process and the factors that go into a premium rate," said Pamela Steer, Chief Financial Officer. "It was also an opportunity to update employers about the new rate framework that we are developing for 2020."
Employers will begin receiving their 2018 premium rate statements this month. You can also learn more about the 2018 rates by visiting
www.wsib.on.ca
.
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WSIB Ontario to transform how premium rates are set
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The WSIB is set to transform how it classifies and calculates premium rates for almost 300,000 registered businesses across Ontario. We are introducing a new premium rate-setting model that is more transparent and fair, and will be more reflective of individual claims experience. Following a multi-year engagement with businesses all across the province, the rate framework is a big step forward in making it easier to understand how businesses are classified and how premium rates are calculated. Another major benefit of the rate framework is the ability to see the direction premium rates are headed in the future.
We want all employers to have the knowledge and tools they need to feel comfortable with our new premium rate-setting model. In preparation for its implementation, we sent a letter to every employer registered with the WSIB with information about what their respective classification will be once the rate framework is implemented. We also launched a new website that will be a great resource for employers as we transition to the rate framework.
You can visit our website www.wsibrateframeworkreform.com for more information and updates about the rate framework.
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Introducing our new online health and safety tool
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For the first time, Ontarians will be able to find and compare health and safety statistics for all businesses across the province.
- see the number and types of injuries in a workplace;
- get a sense of how serious those injuries were by looking at how many people were off work following the day of an accident and how many people are still receiving benefits a year after an accident; and
- compare health and safety statistics for up to five different businesses at one time.
You can check out health and safety statistics for your own workplace or a potential employer.
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What to expect at an oral hearing
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If someone does not agree with a decision made in a claim, they have a right to appeal the decision. How does someone go about appealing a decision?
First, they must let us know that they object to (which means they don't agree with) our decision. After going through the objection process, if they still disagree they can make a formal appeal.
It may be decided that an oral hearing is the best way to decide an appeal. The hearing is a chance to explain why a decision made on a claim should be changed. A hearing could be held in person at our offices or by phone on a teleconference. In most cases, oral hearings are held in the closest city with a WSIB office. To help you better understand what happens at an oral hearing,
watch our video
on what to expect at an oral hearing.
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Encouraging Student Job Safety with 2018 Video Contest
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For the fourth year the WSIB has partnered with the Ontario Ministry of Labour to support the "It's Your Job" student video
contest.
The contest invites students who are currently attending an Ontario secondary school to create and film an original two minute video that illustrates the importance of working safely on the job. This year's theme is: Impairment At Work Is Everyone's Business
Encourage the young workers in your life to
submit their videos
. The deadline is March 2, 2018.
- First Place: $2,000 for the entrant(s), $2,000 for their school
- Second Place: $1,500 for the entrant(s), $1,500 for their school
- Third Place: $1,000 for the entrant(s), $1,000 for their school
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2018 Small Business Health & Safety Leadership Awards nomination call just around the corner
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Small business owners work hard to keep the people who work for them healthy and safe. That's why for the second year our Small Business Health & Safety Leadership Awards will recognize small businesses with outstanding health and safety programs.
Starting in February, if you have a small business registered with the WSIB, you can nominate your company. Individuals or local associations that support small businesses can also submit nominations. Nominations will be open until May 30, 2018.
The gold-level winner will receive $5,000, the silver-level winner $3,000, and the bronze-lever winner $2,000. We encourage the winners to reinvest the financial awards in their health and safety management systems.
Nominated businesses are judged on their performance in five categories: safety culture and leadership; inspections; hazard identification and control; quality of return-to-work programs; and employee safety engagement survey results.
Check our
website
in early January for nomination details as well as a video featuring the 2017 gold-level winners.
For helpful information on how to make your company's workplace healthy and safe, visit our
small business services
page.
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Call for 2018 research grants applications
- The 2018 grants application process will open in early January. We are inviting proposals for research studies and training initiatives to achieve better return-to-work and recovery outcomes for injured and ill workers, and to deliver service innovations for Ontario's workplace compensation system.
Be sure to check our
website
for updates!
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Voluntary Survey for Employers
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We're asking employers who subscribe to WSIB@Work to take part in a short voluntary five-minute survey. Your opinions are important and will help us to improve the programs and services we deliver to employers.
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"
We have no idea how the world will change in the next 10 years, but we're preparing for it anyway.
" - an excerpt from CEO Tom Teahen's Blog:
"In 10 or 20 years, the landscape of our workplaces will look vastly different than it does today. While we can't predict the future with certainty, we can certainly prepare ourselves to be ready to handle whatever change may come.
For example, how might the use of exoskeletons reduce the number of back injuries that occur on the job? When will small businesses be interested in paying their premiums using a cryptocurrency? And what other uses for blockchain technology could we take advantage of? How will augmented reality contribute to safety in the workplace?"
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"What's New" - a newsletter by the Ministry of Labour:
Stay updated on current news from the Ministry of
Labour by subscribing to What's New. Delivered monthly to your inbox, this newsletter features the latest on occupational health and safety, employment standards and labour relations that could affect you and your workplace.
Check out the newsletter here.
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