Document name

Family Support – Seriously Injured Workers

Document number

PRO 06/2019

POL 06/2019, Family Support – Seriously Injured Workers establishes guidelines for providing support to the families of seriously injured workers.

Contact with Families

1. How does WCB assist families of seriously injured workers?
   1. The Extended Services Department provides personalized care to individuals and families impacted by serious injuries.
   2. Extended Services staff will offer to arrange face to face meetings with the families of seriously injured workers. The purpose of these meetings is to:
      1. Discuss the overall WCB process.
      2. Discuss the benefits and support the WCB may provide.
      3. Provide information packages.
      4. If required, obtain information needed for adjudication purposes.
   3. Staff will document on the workers’ claim files:
      1. Offers for in person meetings.
      2. Results and summaries of in person meetings, and
      3. Any other correspondence with family members.
2. If immediate family members are required to travel to attend a treatment facility, what expenses may be covered?
   1. Staff will make decisions to fund expenses on a case-by-case basis. This support may include:
      1. Travel.
      2. Child care.
      3. Earnings loss benefits.
   2. This support may be provided to immediate family members for up to seven calendar days. If a life-threatening condition persists, staff may extend this support past seven days.

Travel

3. What benefits are covered for the travel support of immediate family members and how are they calculated?
   1. Travel support includes, but may not be limited to, reimbursement for:
      1. Actual travel expenses to and from the treatment facility using the most practical means of travel from the family members’ home.
      2. Lodging.
      3. Meals.
      4. Laundry.
      5. Parking.
   2. Travel, lodging and meal rates are subject to WCB travel rates (PRO 01/2019, Travel Expense Rates).
   3. If the worker’s family does not live in Saskatchewan, staff may limit travel support to one immediate family member.

Child Care

4. Will WCB cover child care costs when a worker is seriously injured?
   1. If additional child care costs are incurred resulting from an immediate family member travelling to see a worker in a treatment facility, staff will reimburse child care costs that exceed what the family paid prior to the worker’s injury.

Earnings Loss for Family Members

5. Will WCB cover earnings loss for immediate family members when they miss time from their employment to attend a seriously injured worker at a treatment facility?
   1. Staff may provide earnings loss payments to family members if their employers do not provide paid leave to visit the seriously injured worker.
   2. Earnings loss benefits for a family member will be based on actual salary loss and at a rate not to exceed the maximum wage rate.

Counselling

6. If immediate family members of a seriously injured worker need help coping, does WCB provide coverage for counselling services?
   1. WCB will offer and arrange counselling sessions for immediate family members who need assistance coping with a seriously injured worker.
   2. Staff will offer to pay up to five counselling sessions (i.e., one initial assessment and four follow-up visits). On a case by case basis, counselling support may extend past five sessions.
   3. Staff will pay travel support to family members that need to travel outside their home community for counselling sessions. Travel, lodging and meal rates are subject to WCB travel rates (PRO 01/2019, Expenses - Travel Expense Rates).
   4. Staff will document on workers’ claim files:
      1. Offers for counselling, and
      2. The family members that attend counselling.