WSIB@WORK - Fall 2023

Welcome to our Fall edition of WSIB@work. In this issue you'll find information about:

2024 premium rates update
Supporting smaller business with double rebates
We’re updating our operating hours
Updates to our dispute resolution and appeals value-for-money audit
Making it easier to submit proof of short-term earnings
New appeals feature in online services for businesses with claims
Faster decisions for workers/independent operators
Safety Check-ing new workplaces!
Multilingual video on submitting claims

2024 premium rates update

The average premium rate for 2024 is being held steady at $1.30, the lowest it’s been in more than 20 years. We’ve now successfully transitioned to our new rate-setting model following our phased approach starting in 2020 and all rate-setting policies under our new model are fully in effect in 2024. Businesses can sign up for our online services to view their annual premium rate statement now. You can stay up to date with 2024 rate setting by visiting our website.

Supporting smaller businesses with double rebates

Smaller businesses with 1-99 full-time employees can earn double the health and safety rebates through the program in 2023 and 2024. They’ll also get $1,000 towards their health and safety action plan when they join. You can find out more about how the program works and connect with one of our approved program providers to start the enrollment process.

We've updated our operating hours

We’ve been testing extended operating hours since June 2022, so we are available when it’s most convenient for the people we serve. Over the course of the trial, we’ve learned a lot about how and when people want to work with us. As a result, we are permanently changing our hours so that people can call us about their account or claim between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., because that’s when people have been getting in touch with us the most.

Updates to our dispute resolution and appeals value-for-money audit

In February, we released a summary report on a value-for-money audit on our dispute resolution and appeals process and held a public consultation to receive comments on the audit recommendations. We are committed to finding ways to make our dispute resolution and appeal processes less adversarial and improve outcomes – including resolving disputes as quickly and fairly as possible, and we are confident that this feedback will help us do just that. After a thorough review of all of the feedback we received, we have shared all submissions as well as our response to them.

Making it easier to submit proof of short-term earnings

We've made it easier for businesses to submit proof of short-term earnings for people if they miss work due to a workplace injury or illness. Businesses should now submit earnings information for the pay periods in the four weeks before a person’s injury or illness, or in most cases, their last two pay periods, so we can determine the benefits people are paid for the first 12 weeks following an incident. We’re lining up proof of short-term earnings requirements with common pay cycles to make it easier for businesses to work with us and so that people will receive their benefits even faster.

New appeals feature in online services for businesses with claims

Businesses can now track the status of claims-related appeals through our secure online services. When an appeal is registered, businesses can log in to see where they are in the process, the next steps for the appeal, and the expected timing for a decision, as well as resolved appeals. If a business has a question about an appeal, they can select ‘appeals’ as a subject category when sending us a message. Log in at wsib.ca/onlineservices to get started.

Faster decisions for workers/independent operators

We’ve updated and shortened the questionnaires we use for determining worker/independent operator status to provide faster decisions on independent operator or employee status inquiries.

Trucking, courier and rideshare businesses can use the new transportation industry questionnaire and will receive decision letters specific to their vehicle identification number (VIN), meaning they no longer need to complete multiple questionnaires unless changing vehicles. Logging businesses should continue to use the logging industry version and all other businesses should use the new, shorter general questionnaire.

Graphic image from the Safety Check advertising campaign.

Safety check-ing new workplaces!

People don’t typically factor a new workplace’s safety record into their employment decisions – but we’d really like it if they did!

That’s why we’re running a new campaign this fall to encourage job hunters to run a Safety Check on their potential new workplaces. The campaign began on September 25 and runs until November 19.

Image of a combine harvester in a field with a video play icon overlayed.

Multilingual video on submitting claims

People who are injured or made ill at work, and who don’t speak or read English or French, can watch a video on our YouTube Channel that explains how to submit a WSIB claim.

The video is now available in Cantonese, Farsi, Mandarin, Tamil, and Tigrinya. The video is also available in other languages on our YouTube channel.

"What's New" | A newsletter by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Stay updated on current news from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development 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.

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is here to help. When an injury or illness happens on the job, we move quickly to provide wage-loss benefits, medical coverage and support to help people get back to work. Funded by businesses, we also provide no-fault collective liability insurance and access to industry-specific health and safety information. We are one of the largest insurance organizations in North America covering over five million people in more than 300,000 workplaces across Ontario.

Visit us at wsib.ca