Appellate Court Upholds Finding that Injured Worker who Returned to Full-Time Work Entitled to Receive 100% FEL Benefits to Age 65

In Hydro Ottawa v. Ontario (Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal), the Divisional Court has upheld a decision of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (Tribunal) that concluded an injured worker remained entitled to his 100% future economic loss (FEL) benefits until age 65 despite the fact he returned to full-time work in 2013….

FTR Quarterly – Issue 12

In This Issue: Year in Review – Key Human Resources Law Developments of 2018, The Road Ahead: Human Resources Trends and Issues to Watch in 2019 and more!

WSIB Issues New Policy on Medical Cannabis

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has issued Policy 17-01-10 Cannabis for Medical Purposes (Policy) which will come into effect on March 1, 2019. The WSIB has previously covered the cost of medical cannabis in some circumstances, primarily for the relief of pain in accordance with section 33 of the Workplace Safety and Insurance…

Reduction of WSIB Premium Rates for Employers Announced

On September 26, 2018, the Ontario government and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced that WSIB premium rates for employers will be reduced by almost 30 percent, starting January 1, 2019. The announcement states the reduction is due to the elimination of the unfunded liability of the WSIB’s Insurance Fund. The unfunded liability…

WSIB Rate Framework Policies Finalized

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has finalized the following core policies which will support the new Rate Framework, to be implemented on January 1, 2020: Coverage Status The Classification Structure Single or Multiple Premium Rates Associated Employers Employer Level Premium Rate Setting Employer Premium Adjustment As previously reported, the WSIB held public consultations…

Recent Legislative Initiatives of Interest to School Boards

Recent legislative changes in Ontario will have a significant impact on school boards. First, school boards will now be required to adopt a code of conduct that applies to trustees. Second, as of January 1, 2018, entitlement to benefits for chronic mental stress is compensable under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997

Changes to the WSIB’s Annual Indexing: Are You Prepared?

Effective January 1, 2018, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) will utilize a single indexing factor to calculate the annual adjustment to all indexed benefits and the legislated amounts as a result of recent amendments to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (WSIA). To support the implementation of these changes, the WSIB has developed a new policy (18-01-14 Annual Indexing) and revised several existing benefit payment policies. Learn more in this FTR Now.