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Employer Rates 2020
CHECK YOUR Group RATe ON WSCC CONNECT
Every year, the WSCC calculates rates in consultation with independent actuaries through a review of target funding levels, anticipated operating expenses and past trend analysis. This determines the optimal rates required to cover all the current and future costs associated with workplace injuries.
In setting Assessment Rates, the WSCC considers what is:
- Sustainable for claim costs;
- Reflective of industry experience;
- Responsive to claims experience trends; and
- Fair to employers.
This year, the average provisional assessment rate will be $2.40 per $100 assessable payroll. This provisional rate is the rate employers would pay if there was only one rate for all employers, and is the rate the WSCC uses as a starting point when setting individual subclass rates.
The average rate is increasing in 2020 because of higher claims costs and the requirement to build reserves to safeguard the long term financial sustainability of the Workers' Protection Fund.
WSCC's operating costs remain unchanged. However, beginning in 2020 the costs that are associated with WSCC administration, safety promotion, regulation and enforcement will be allocated equally across all employers. This equates to a fixed amount of $.35 per $100 of payroll. This methodology change promotes fairness and accountability within collective liability. As a result of the change in the way rates are set, a one-time suspension of the 20% annual rate change limit has been implemented.
Employers can access the individual subclass rates for all industries for the upcoming year through the WSCC's online service WSCC Connect. You can view current and historical rates by Class & Subclass and by Specific Industry.
WSCC Connect is accessible through wscc.nt.ca or wscc.nu.ca. Click on the WSCC Connect logo located at the top of the page and follow the button to View Assessment Rates.
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Deadline: PERSONAL OPTIONAL COVERAGE
The WSCC provides benefits that support injured workers during the recovery and return to work process. However, WSCC's coverage does not automatically extend to business owners, partners, registered directors, or self-employed people. If you wish to be covered, you are able to opt in by signing up for Personal Optional Coverage, which provides you with the same benefits as other workers.
You must renew your coverage every year. To ensure there is no break in your coverage, your 2020 Personal Optional Coverage forms must be completed and submitted to the WSCC by December 31st, 2019.
How to apply:
Applying for coverage is easy and flexible. You can apply for as little as one month, or as much as one year of coverage. Fill out the Personal Optional Coverage form on our website, and send it to the WSCC office in your jurisdiction by December 31, 2019.
Submit your form by sending it to:
If you have any questions about the current status of your coverage, or would like more information on Personal Optional Coverage, please contact us today.
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Reminder: ANNUAL PAYROLL REPORT
Submission open January 1, 2020 -
February 28, 2020
Employers, you will receive information about submitting the Annual Payroll Report through WSCC Connect in early December. The deadline is February 28, 2020, but you can submit as early as January 1, 2020.
A further reminder that the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) section introduced in 2018 is a requirement for completing your submission. Before starting the filing process, WSCC Connect users should consult with the person who manages OHS in the company they are filing for to provide Yes/No answers to the OHS questions. The complete set of questions with explanations of what to look for is in Section 4 of the Guide to Completing Annual Payroll Reporting.
Remember, you must submit an APR even if you are reporting zero (0) payroll. The penalty for late submission is 15% of your previous year's employer payroll assessment.
Employers, if you haven't received your APR package by the middle of December, contact Employer Services:
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Employer Report of Incident
4 steps of wscc reporting
Timely incident and injury reporting is your legal obligation under the NWT and NU legislation. It is essential that your business has a clear process for reporting and investigating incidents and injuries. If a serious workplace incident or injury occurs, employers must submit the fully completed Employer Report of Incident within the regulated timeline which is listed below.
Incident vs. Injury: An incident refers to an event that could have resulted in a loss, such as a fatality, a medical injury, a first aid injury, and/or damage to property, while an injury refers to actual bodily harm that was caused due to an incident in the workplace.
Hazard Reporting vs. Incident Reporting: Hazard reporting is preventative reporting, which identifies a danger in the work place that could potentially cause an incident or injury. Hazard reporting is an essential component of your internal occupational health and safety program. An outline of how to create and implement a hazard reporting system is available in the September 2019 issue of SafetyNet. Incident reporting is a report of an event that already happened, and in the investigation process will identify the hazards after an incident or injury has already taken place. Incidents and injuries must be reported to the WSCC.
the 4 step INCIDENT and injury reporting process
As soon as an incident happens that has or had the potential to cause injury or damage to property or worksite, the incident must be reported up the management chain: Employee to supervisor or OHS personal, supervisor to manager, and manager to owner or employer. If anyone in your company witnesses an incident or injury, they must participate in the reporting process. You should have a clear policy and reporting procedure around incidents and injuries, which must include your requirements to report to the WSCC. The reporting procedure should include instructions on how you and your employees will document what happened.
In the event of an injury, and after your employee has received first aid or medical attention as required, follow these four steps for incident and injury reporting:
- Complete and submit an Employer's Report of Incident Form.
- Have your employee complete and submit the Worker's Report of Injury Form. In cases where medical attention is needed, the healthcare provider will complete additional forms related to the injury.
- Keep an accurate account of the injury and conduct an incident investigation to determine the root cause and corrective actions you will take.
- Provide your worker with a copy of your completed Employer's Report of Incident form for their own records.
Timeline for reporting
After an incident or injury occurs, timely reporting is essential. However, there are legislated guidelines that must be met depending on the legislation that applies to your industry:
- NWT and NU Mining Legislation Requires that:
- Reportable incident be immediately reported by phone with a written report submitted within 24 hours.
- An incident involving serious injury or death.
- Dangerous Occurrence be reported in writing within 72 hours.
- An incident that involves hazards with the potential to cause major injury or death.
- NWT and NU Workers' Compensation Acts require that injuries be reported in 3 business days.
- NWT and NU Occupational Health and Safety Regulations require that dangerous occurrences or an accident causing serious bodily injury be reported immediately.
- An accident causing serious bodily injury refers to an injury that could have caused death, or has required an individual to be admitted to the hospital as an in-patient for 24 hours or more.
For full and complete definitions of incidents and injuries, please refer to page 5 of the Employer Report of Injury Form.
If you want to talk to an Inspector regarding reporting incidents and injuries in your workplace, contact the WSCC today. If you ever see unsafe work we encourage you to report it using WSCC Connect.
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OFFICE CLOSURES
WSCC's offices are closed for the holidays beginning at 5:00 PM Friday December 20th, 2019 through till January 1st, 2020. The offices will re-open on Thursday January 2nd at 8:30 AM.
To report a serious workplace injury or incident, call 1-800-661-0792.
To report unsafe work, use our Report Unsafe Work service on WSCC Connect.
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wscc.nt.ca / 1.800.661.0792 * wscc.nu.ca / 1.877.404.4407
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