The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board has broad statutory mandates that encompass injury prevention, experience-rated assessments, claim adjudication, and administration and rehabilitation. If we were to quantify the total value of rehabilitation services provided in Ontario, a large proportion would be represented by occupational injuries.

Like the Ontario population at large, the working population covered by Ontario’s workers compensation regime is highly diverse. THP asked the WSIB to comment on the influence that population aging and cultural diversity are having on its experience and its policies. Specifically, we posed a number of questions on the topic of changes in health care delivery models to accommodate Ontario’s aging and increasingly culturally diverse population. THP is grateful to Christine Arnott, Media Relations Specialist at WSIB, for these responses.

1. How does age affect occupational injury rates?

In general, young workers (15 to 24 years old) account for a large portion of workplace injuries relative to their numbers in the workforce. Statistics show that young workers are the most vulnerable, as they often lack the experience to recognize and avoid workplace hazards and they are not aware of their rights and responsibilities in the workplace. Older workers are generally more skilled and experienced and usually have had opportunities for more training.

Table 5 of our Statistical Supplement depicts lost-time claims statistics by age.

2. How does age affect case management strategies and the protocols followed under WSIB’s Work Reintegration Program?

Because we recognize that older and younger workers require different case management strategies, we have created more pathways to work reintegration under the new program.

For example, the new program offers a new 12-week employment placement service and enhanced training opportunities for low wage earners. (Often young workers are in this category.) This gives the injured workers more time to select a new occupation and can help them find jobs with higher earning potential.

Specifically for older workers (55+), the WSIB focuses on keeping the injured worker with the injury employer and supports retraining for them to remain with the injury employer. The WSIB also requires employers to cooperate with the process and to comply with re-employment and Ontario Human Rights Code requirements. Older injured workers who are still able to work but not to return to the injury employer can choose either a self-directed work transition plan or a WSIB-sponsored training program. This offers an alternative pathway to work transition for workers who may not be comfortable in an academic environment.

Overall, the focus of the work reintegration program for all injured workers is to increase the likelihood of successful return to work and to increase their satisfaction with the work reintegration services they receive.

3. What services does the WSIB provide to accommodate cultural diversity among injured workers?

The WSIB provides many services for people who speak languages other than English and French, including:

  • Translation and interpretation services in 60 languages
  • A multilingual toll-free hotline (1-800-465-5606) through which general WSIB information and assistance is provided by trained staff
  • WSIB publications in a number of different formats and languages
  • Multilingual content on WSIB’s website: http://su.pr/1gxU3a and http://su.pr/2clDOF

All adjudicators are required to participate in the WSIB’s award-winning worker sensitivity training program, which helps them better understand the issues and challenges facing injured workers.