On February 18, 2016, the Ontario government introduced Bill 163, Supporting Ontario’s First Responders Act (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), 2016. If passed, Bill 163 will, among other things, amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 to create a rebuttable statutory presumption in favour of granting workers’ compensation benefits to certain workers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. If passed, Bill…
Tag: Workplace Safety and Insurance Act
Ontario Tables PTSD Legislation
On February 18, 2016, the Ontario government tabled Bill 163, Supporting Ontario’s First Responders Act (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), 2016, amending the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 and the Ministry of Labour Act. If passed, Bill 163 would create a statutory presumption in favour of granting workers’ compensation benefits to first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic…
PTSD Strategy Announced by Ontario
On February 1, 2016, the Ontario government announced new initiatives designed to address post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) suffered by first responders. The initiatives build on the feedback received by the government at its Summit on Work-Related Traumatic Mental Stress, hosted by the Minister of Labour in March 2015. In this FTR Now, we review these…
An Update on WSIB Rate Framework Reform
In March, 2015, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (“WSIB”) proposed a new Rate Framework (“Proposed Framework”) which, if adopted, would fundamentally change the way the WSIB classifies Schedule 1 employers and sets their premium rates (see our FTR Nows of April 17, 2015 “WSIB Rate Framework Reform: Stakeholder Input Invited” and August 21, 2015 “An…
Ontario Passes Workplace Law Reforms
On December 10, 2015, the Ontario government passed Bill 109, the Employment and Labour Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015 and Bill 144, the Budget Measures Act, 2015, two pieces of legislation that implement a number of reforms to various workplace laws. Among other things, Bill 109 amends: the labour relations provisions of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (“FPPA”) to incorporate…
Ontario to Reform Certain Workplace Laws Relating to Construction Labour, Pensions and Workplace Safety and Insurance
On November 18, 2015, the Ontario government introduced Bill 144, the Budget Measures Act, 2015, omnibus legislation that would, if passed and among other things, implement reforms to construction labour relations, workplace safety and insurance indexing and to certain rules governing multi-employer pension asset transfers. The proposed Bill 144 changes include: Amending the construction industry provisions of…
An Update on WSIB Rate Framework Reform
In March 2015, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (“WSIB”) released a preliminary Rate Framework (“Proposed Framework”) which, if adopted, would fundamentally change the way the WSIB classifies Schedule 1 employers and sets their premium rates (see our FTR Now of April 17, 2015 “WSIB Rate Framework Reform: Stakeholder Input Invited”). At the same time,…
Ontario Government to Amend Workplace Laws
On May 28, 2015, the Ontario government introduced Bill 109, the Employment and Labour Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015, proposed legislation intended to effect a number of changes to workplace laws, including: the labour relations provisions of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 ("FPPA"); the Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act, 1997 ("PSLRTA"); and…
WSIB Rate Framework Reform: Stakeholder Input Invited
On March 31, 2015, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (“WSIB”) released a number of discussion papers which propose a preliminary Rate Framework which, if adopted, would fundamentally change the way the WSIB classifies Schedule 1 employers and sets its premium rates. Under the proposal, the Secondary Injury and Enhancement Fund (“SIEF”) and existing experience…
Court Upholds Two-Year Limit on LOE Benefits for Workers Age 63 or Older
The Ontario Divisional Court’s recent decision upholding the two-year limitation on loss of earnings (“LOE”) benefits for workers age 63 and older should reassure employers that Ontario courts take notice that LOE benefits are not meant to be paid for life. Section 43(1)(c) of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (“WSIA”) limits LOE entitlement for…