Human Resources Legislative Update
Ontario to Table Legislative Changes Relating to Injured Workers
Date: November 9, 2023
On November 8, 2023, the Ontario government announced its intention to introduce legislation that would include the following protections for injured workers:
- enabling “super indexing” increases to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) benefits, which would allow for the creation of regulations that set out indexation increases above the annual rate of inflation
- lowering the duration of employment needed for firefighters and fire investigators to receive WSIB presumed compensation for esophageal cancer, prior to being diagnosed with same (from 25 years to 15 years)
The government also announced it will be launching consultations on a new job-protected leave for employees who are dealing with a critical illness, such as cancer. This new leave would match the length of the federal Employment Insurance sickness benefits (26 weeks).
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