Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Major Milestone in Push to Extend WSIB to Retirement Home and Group Home Workers

Ontario’s workplace safety and insurance system is a no-fault insurance system that protects workers with income in the event that they are injured or become ill at work. While many workers are covered by this public insurance, healthcare workers in retirement homes and group homes are not. Employers in these sectors can opt out of the public system and instead offer a private insurance solution.

CLAC has strongly advocated for the inclusion of all healthcare workers for many years.

In 2019, the province commissioned an operational review of WSIB led by Linda Regner Dykman and Sean Speer. CLAC participated in person and with written submissions. We offered advice on several fronts, but key among our recommendations was the need to extend coverage to exempt workers.

The final report, entitled WSIB in Transition, was made public in November 2020 and makes 25 recommendations. In recommendation #7, the report says that coverage should be extended to all those who work in residential care settings—including retirement and group homes.

This is a significant development for you if you work in this sector. It ensures that you enjoy meaningful and effective protection from injury or illness in the workplace.

CLAC commends the authors for their fulsome and thoughtful report. We’ve raised the issue with the minister of labour, training, and skills development this fall and intend to continue to push for the legislative reform that this report calls for.

CLAC has since called on the government to implement the recommendation to extend WSIB coverage to all healthcare workers in an open letter sent on December 9, 2020, to the premier and minister of labour, training, and skills development.

Major Milestone in Push to Extend WSIB to Retirement Home and Group Home Workers

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