Topic: WSIB premium increase for workplace fatality
triciamarie
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 12970
posted 18 June 2008 06:17 AM
There was a series of articles in the Toronto Star a few months back concerning the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board's employer premium rebate programs. These programs are ostensibly intended to promote safe working conditions. The scandal was that when a worker was killed on the job, that employer could still potentially receive a rebate for that year. One of our legal clinics, IAVGO, had some of their law students crunch data to demonstrate that this was actually occurring in fact.
The Board has now changed its policy so that when there is a traumatic fatality in workplace, the Board will consider increasing the employer's premiums for that year so as to offset the refund.
The policy does not apply to deaths caused by occupational diseases such as cancer.
The Board has also established a new group that will review whether refunds are warranted for particular workplaces. Not clear what that will involve.
Almost all WSIB decisions are subject to several levels of appeal so this certainly does promise to provide lots of new work for employers' representatives.