'Each injury claim assessed on its own merits with consideration to relevant medical information'
Amid the surge of the omicron variant, Saskatchewan employers will have a better capacity to cover costs for accepted work-related COVID-19 claims.
That’s because the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) has announced it is further extending cost relief to June 30, 2022.
“We’re accepting eligible workplace COVID-19 claims and given the recent Omicron surge, the WCB is also extending temporary financial support for employers to cover COVID-19 claim costs,” says Phillip Germain, CEO of Saskatchewan WCB. “By taking a proactive response to the higher transmissibility of the omicron variant, we believe this decision will help assist workers and employers affected by COVID-19 injury claims.”
The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce (SCC) applauded the WCB for continuing the cost relief for employers with accepted COVID-19 claims.
“The WCB board and staff have shown thoughtful leadership and strong decision-making considering a changing environment, and we appreciate their responsiveness,” says Steve McLellan, SCC CEO.
In December 2021, Ontario announced it is extending its Worker Income Protection Benefit program – which provides paid sick days – until July 31, 2022.
Costs covered through reserve
Under the program, the WCB will cover employer costs for accepted COVID-19 claims that occur between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022. Workers will receive the support they need, and the costs that employers would have been assigned will be covered through the WCB’s occupational disease reserve.
Previously, the WCB provided more than $5.6 million in cost relief for COVID-19 injury claims in 2020 and 2021. The cost relief is funded through the WCB’s occupational disease reserve as a temporary measure to aid Saskatchewan employers.
“WCB injury claims submitted for work-related COVID-19 exposures are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis,” says Jennifer Norleen-Beitel, WCB’s vice-president of operations. “Each injury claim will be assessed on its own merits with consideration to relevant medical information. This includes a diagnosis, the nature of the occupation and the extent of exposure. We gather information from the worker and the employer to confirm the injury and the source of exposure.”
WCB is also providing additional assistance for employers that require workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The agency is temporarily offering cost relief to cover all claim costs for accepted adverse reaction injury claims to vaccinations.
If a worker is required by their employer to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and as a result, the worker is required to seek medical care or is medically required to miss work, the WCB will accept this claim and the employer would receive cost relief for all related claim costs.
Before 2021 ended, Ottawa announced it would temporarily expand eligibility for key support programs to ensure Canadians are protected and workers and businesses get the help they need to sustain them as additional public health restrictions roll out in response to the Omicron variant.
