Document name

Coverage – Students in Work Experience Programs

Document number

PRO 06/2022

Consents and Waiver of Liability is a waiver signed by a student or the student’s parent/guardian (if the student is a minor) and is applicable to all work assignments carried out by the student.

Community-Based Organization (CBO), also referred to as career services funded organization, means an organization recognized by the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training that delivers training or employment services for no profit.

Host organization means the organization (private, public, non-profit, agency, business, or association, etc.) at which a participating student undertakes a work experience program

Learning institution means the school or post-secondary institution recognized by the Ministries of Education and Advanced Education that offers the work experience program to students.

Participating student means an individual who is engaged in an unpaid work experience program and who is registered with:

• The Students Records Unit of the Ministry of Education, if the course is offered by a school
• A post-secondary institution, if the course is offered by that institution, or
• The Ministry of Immigration and Career Training, if the course is offered by a CBO.

A student is considered unpaid even if they receive payments, such as an allowance or stipend for training or social assistance issued on a T4A or T5, as these are not considered employment earnings.

Work experience program, also referred to as work-integrated program, means a program, course, or component of a course offered by learning institution or a CBO, where participating students work without pay for a host organization for the purpose of learning and gaining work experience.
 

1. POL 06/2022, Coverage – Students in Work Experience Programs, specifies the circumstances under which students will be covered by the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) when participating in work experience programs.
2. This procedure provides specific guidelines for implementing POL 06/2022, Coverage – Students in Work Experience Programs.

1.  What are the roles and responsibilities of the Ministries?
   1. The Ministry of Education is designated as the employer for students attending Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12).
   2. The Ministry of Advanced Education is designated as the employer for students attending post-secondary institutions. 
   3. The Ministry of Immigration and Career Training is designated as the employer for students attending courses offered by community-based organizations (CBOs). 
   4. These Ministries are responsible for:
      1. Maintaining records of programs and students, and list of CBOs eligible for coverage, and
      2. Ensuring that all injuries are reported to the WCB within the time periods specified in The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 (the “Act”).
2.  What are the responsibilities of participating students?
   1. To have WCB coverage, participating students must complete and sign a Consents and Waiver of Liability form.
   2. In the event of an injury while on a work experience, participating students must:
      1. Immediately report the incident to the workplace supervisor/host organization and learning institution
      2. Submit the Worker’s Initial Report of Injury (W1) to the WCB within five (5) days of the incident, in consultation with the learning institution and along with a copy of the signed Consents and Waiver of Liability, if applicable; and, 
      3. If applicable, work with the host organization and the WCB to set up a Return to Work (RTW) plan.
3.  What are the roles and responsibilities of learning institutions?
   1. Learning institutions are responsible for: 
      1. Ensuring coverage is in place prior to arranging work placements.
      2. Approving unpaid work experience programs.
      3. Liaising with host organizations, including communicating safety expectations and monitoring adherence to safety standards.
      4. Maintaining appropriate records associated with unpaid work-integrated learning.
      5. Advising participating students of the details of their workers’ compensation coverage.
      6. Obtaining a signed Consents and Waiver of Liability form from each participating student prior to the start of any work experience program.
      7. Ensuring, that in the event of an injury, students follow the necessary injury report and claim submission process.
4. What are the roles and responsibilities of organizations hosting student assignments?
   1. Host organizations are responsible for:
      1. Responding to student injuries appropriately which includes:
         1. providing first aid for injured students if necessary; and,
         2. supporting injured students to access medical attention from a qualified healthcare professional.
      2. Immediately reporting and providing details of the injury to the student’s post-secondary institution; and,
      3. Reporting the injury to the WCB by completing the Employer’s Initial Report of Injury (E1) form within five days of the incident and providing a copy of the submission and accompanying documents to the student’s post-secondary institution.
5. Who is responsible for confirming coverage for students participating in work experience programs?
   1. Employer Services is responsible for confirming coverage for claims involving participating students in a work experience under the Ministries of Education, Advanced Education, or Immigration and Career Training. A copy of the Consents and Waiver of Liability may be requested for the verification of coverage.
   2.  Employer Services staff will verify how the student is paid. 
      1. If the student is receiving a T4, they are considered a worker of the employer paying them. 
      2. If they are unpaid or receiving allowances or stipends reported on a T4A or T5, they are covered as workers of the Government of Saskatchewan and ministries.
6. Why is coverage not provided to students at all Saskatchewan post-secondary institutions?
   1. Eligibility for coverage is limited to students registered at post-secondary institutions that receive provincial funding from the Government of Saskatchewan. 
7. Do alternative coverage arrangements exist for students who do not meet the eligibility requirements?
   1. Yes. Students who are not covered through the Government of Saskatchewan and are receiving assessable earnings as defined in POL 24/2010, Assessable Earnings, will be covered as workers through their Saskatchewan employer. This includes:
      1. Out-of-province students participating in work experience programs in Saskatchewan.
      2. Saskatchewan-based students enrolled in institutions not listed in Schedules A, B. and C, who are participating in work experience programs in Saskatchewan.
   2. Saskatchewan-based students participating in work experience programs outside the province must contact the jurisdiction’s workers’ compensation agency to determine coverage requirements.
   3. If the student is not receiving assessable earnings and no employer-worker relationship exists, alternative coverage arrangements, such as general liability insurance, may be an option for students who are not eligible for coverage.