WSIB@WORK - Spring 2018

A new guide for Ontario businesses

Your Guide: Services and Responsibilities - Business Edition lets Ontario businesses know about the programs and services the WSIB offers to improve workplace health and safety - which can save businesses money.

The guide also covers what businesses need to do in the event of a workplace injury or illness, and what they can do to support an employee's return to work. In the guide, businesses can also find essential information about managing their account with us, including all that's involved in staying up-to-date with us.

The guide was developed following the success of the Worker Edition which launched in summer 2017 for people who have been injured at work.

You can view both guides online .

Download our new health and safety app

Companies that choose to adopt Workwell standards and make improvements to their workplace health and safety management system have fewer injuries, illnesses and less lost time. This can earn employers WSIB rebates and decreased premiums.

That's why we encourage all employers to use our new Workwell app to improve health and safety and return-to-work outcomes in their workplace. .

Using the app, employers can evaluate their program against the Workwell standard, note observations, save evaluations and share assessments. The app can also be used to look up health and safety standards and find resources to help them make improvements and take corrective measures. Employers don't need to be in the Workwell program to use the app and information captured will not be sent to the WSIB.

Employers - try it today! Available for free download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store .

Doug's story

Doug's love of cars turned into a 50 year career in the auto business. After living with work-related noise-induced hearing loss for the past 20 years, Doug is now able to hear the little things with the help of hearing aids. Watch his story:

Schedule 2 employers: Your 2018 Provisional Administration Rates

On February 1, we announced the 2018 provisional administration rates for Schedule 2 employers.

Schedule 2 employers are 'self-insured' and are individually liable for the full costs of their employees' claims. The WSIB pays insurance benefits for Schedule 2 claims and is reimbursed by Schedule 2 employers for costs.

The Schedule 2 provisional administration rates reflect the anticipated administration costs for the year for administering these benefits.

After the year ends, we will determine the actual administration rate based on real experience. We do this once the financial statement audit process is completed. We'll then issue an adjustment to reflect the difference between the actual and provisional administration rates to employers.

You can view and read more about the rates on the WSIB website , including answers to some key questions about the 2018 rates.

As well, in March we hosted a technical rate session webinar to explain the 2018 provisional administration rates. Thank you to all the employers who participated in this session.

WSIB's record-breaking United Way Campaign

The 2017 WSIB United Way Campaign was an outstanding success. Our employees answered the call to "Commit to Kindness" and raised more than $281,000 to support local charities. This was our highest-ever fundraising total in one year, and $11,000 above our target.

As a result of this record-breaking campaign, the WSIB was recently awarded the United Way Spirit Award . This award is a testament to the incredible generosity and dedication of WSIB employees. Every dollar donated will support people in need all across Ontario. From providing group care to senior citizens who have Alzheimer's, to supporting shelters for women and children, to ensuring services are available for people dealing with mental health issues - the funds we raised will help to make a real difference to people in communities across Ontario.

New WSIB Innovation Lab will help prepare for the future

Innovation can help us improve the way we deliver services and achieve better outcomes for people. We know we need to become a more modern organization and keep up with the pace of change. To help us prepare for the future, we recently launched an innovation lab at the Communitech hub in Kitchener. Communitech is a world-class innovation centre that supports a collaborative community of nearly 1,000 health-related technology companies.

The WSIB Innovation Lab will explore big ideas, such as what the future of workers' compensation will look like and how that will change our industry and our business. The lab will focus its work on "Healthy People and Safe Workplaces" to help guide our future.

Read more about the launch of the lab in the news .

WSIB supports research to improve outcomes

Six researchers are receiving funding through the second year of the WSIB Grants Program for projects exploring how to improve return-to-work and recovery outcomes for people who have been injured or become ill from work. For the first time, two of the grants were presented in partnership with WorkSafeBC.

The recipients and projects are:

"Challenging the dogma: light exercise for the management of acute mild traumatic injury", Dr. Catherine Varner, Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto)

"Return to work and mental health: tapping experience and strategies of return-to-work coordinators", Dr. Ellen MacEachen, University of Waterloo (Waterloo)

"Strategies for the successful return-to-work of linguistic minorities", Dr. Stephanie Premji, McMaster University (Hamilton)

"Tracking Long-term Outcomes of Injured Workers in Ontario to Better Target Supports", Dr. Emile Tompa, Institute for Work & Health (Toronto)

WorkSafeBC partnership grant recipients are:

"PTSD and help-seeking among psychiatric workers: workplace factors and barriers to support", Zoe Hilton, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care (Penetanguishene)

"Proactive strategies for managing workplace harassment and bullying", Ruth Wright, The Conference Board of Canada (Ottawa)

The WSIB Grants Program provides funding to support innovative proposals that address current and emerging challenges to Ontario's workplace injury and illness insurance system.

The 2018 Grants application process has now closed and recipients will be announced in the fall.

Your small biz could win up to $5,000!

This year's Small Business Health and Safety Leadership Award nominations will open on April 3. 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 June 1, 2018.

Learn more about our Small Business Health and Safety Leadership Awards .

Making it easier for health care practitioners to help people with fractures

Since we launched the Non-Surgical Fracture Episode of Care in 2017, we have expanded the eligibility criteria. People with fractures that are immobilized with a removable device, such as a splint or walking boot, and who have an allowed claim and meet all other criteria are now eligible.

Watch our video to find out more about the program or call the WSIB Health Care Practitioner Access Line at 1-800-569-7919 or 416-344-4526 for general questions .

Were you injured before 1990?

Reminder: Changes to increase fairness for those injured pre-1990

As of January 1, 2018 a change in legislation means that the indexing of the permanent disability supplement (also known as the 147 (4) supplement) and the calculation and indexing of the permanent disability supplement additional amount (also known as the 147 (14) supplement additional amount) will generally no longer be impacted by the federal Old Age Security (OAS).

"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.

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

To injured workers, we're the agency that provides wage-loss benefits, health care coverage, and return-to-work and transition programs. To employers, we're the agency that provides no-fault collective liability insurance and access to industry-specific health and safety information. But to our employees, we're simply the agency that believes in getting injured workers across Ontario back to what matters.