Category: WSIB
No one goes to work expecting that they will get hurt, but every year, thousands of Ontarians are injured or made sick by their job. Last year, more than 225,000 claims were registered, and WSIB paid out more than two billion dollars in benefits, which include health-care costs, lost wages, compensation for permanent injuries, and […]
It’s a moment that injured workers and their allies have waited a long time for: the Ontario government has announced an independent review of which occupational illnesses will be eligible for compensation through WSIB. What Is The Goal of the Review? The review will “evaluate how occupational illnesses in Ontario are identified, monitored, and prevented.” […]
There’s a new player in the fight for WSIB reform on occupational disease. Earlier this fall, an alliance of workers, widows and families created the Occupational Disease Reform Alliance (ODRA). This coalition formed in reaction to news that billions of dollars in WSIB premium surplus funds would be given back to employers, rather than to […]
From uranium workers in the 1970s, to asbestos workers in the 1990s, to rubber workers in the 2010s, the ongoing discovery of new occupational disease clusters is an unfortunate reality in Ontario. In 2020, yet another has been identified, and advocates want to get the word out to those who may be affected. The workplace […]
Throughout COVID-19, people have become increasingly aware of the heroes in our midst: front-line healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, truck drivers and other essential workers we take for granted in our everyday lives. Nurses and other healthcare staff have been in the spotlight as they bravely enter hospitals and care homes every day to care […]
It’s been a long time coming, but the WSIB has finally started approving claims for Parkinson’s Disease caused by McIntyre Powder. The fine aluminum powder was inhaled by miners as a preventive measure against a lung disease called silicosis from the 1940s through to the 1970s. The WSIB announced earlier this year that independent research […]
After years of pressure from sick workers and their families and advocates, and a year and a half since the province announced a review, the wait is over. The findings of Ontario’s Occupational Cancer Review, headed by Dr. Paul Demers, were made public earlier this month in a report entitled Using scientific evidence and principles […]
When the COVID-19 pandemic began earlier this year, one of the biggest adjustments that many people had to make was a sudden shift to working from home. While not all jobs can be done remotely, many sectors do have at least some potential for telework and millions of Canadians found themselves doing just that in […]
Ontario is taking baby steps towards reopening after many businesses and workplaces were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While people are being encouraged to work from home if possible, thousands of workplaces rely on staff working in person. A wide variety of businesses and services were given the green light to reopen in some […]
Workplace safety is front of mind these days. Employers must do everything they can do keep their employees as safe as possible by providing PPE and implementing safety protocols and policies. But what happens when the very strategies for keeping employees healthy actually cause them harm? A recent major revelation from the WSIB gives us […]