The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is an Ontario government insurance scheme that provides certain benefits to employees or workers when they are not able to work because of an injury or illness that they sustained from a work-related accident. The worker or employee may have developed a medical condition or illness from the workplace as well. Once a worker or employee has sustained an injury or condition from work and that workplace is covered by the WSIB, a claim could be submitted to the WSIB for that worker to receive certain benefits. It is the WSIB that protects certain employers from liability for work-related accidents or medical conditions or other illnesses garnered from the workplace.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 is the legislation that sets out how the insurance plan will be administered through the WSIB, and which businesses are in industries that are covered under the Act. Businesses or companies that are in construction, manufacturing, or retail as well as many others are industries that would be subject to the WSIB.
There are major risks of not having WSIB coverage or failing to register with the WSIB for a business or company that is in an industry that would be under the umbrella of the WSIB. If, for example, a business or company fails to register with the WSIB and the WSIB finds that the employee or worker was entitled to be covered by the WSIB, then that business may be penalized. Corporations could be fined while an individual could be fined as well possibly imprisoned for the offence. Do not hesitate to contact Zeilikman Law if your company has any questions or concerns related to any issues involving the WSIB. Zeilikman Law can help guide employers through these often complicated processes in order defend the company before the WSIB and to try to minimize costs.
