Amendment to workers' compensation act covers about 150 employers in the territory
The Yukon government has passed legislation protecting the jobs of injured workers.
Section 41of the Yukon Workers’ Compensation Act provides re-employment protection for injured workers once they are medically able to perform their pre-injury duties and outlines employers’ obligations to re-employ.
The legislation covers employers with 20 or more workers — about 150 employers in the Yukon — and comes into effect Jan. 1, 2011.
It provides specific guidelines, remedies and penalties to deal with re-employment obligations.
Workers injured on or after Jan. 1, 2011, and who were in a continuous employment relationship for at least a year with their employer are covered by this legislation.
The legislation is in line with the Human Rights Act which prohibits discrimination based on disabilities. It also aligns Yukon with seven other jurisdictions in the country that have similar legislation.
The Yukon Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Board will provide information sessions for affected employers and workers to ensure they understand and are prepared to comply with the legislation when it comes into effect.
