Potential Canada Post disruption

AVOID PAYMENT DELAYS: Potential Canada Post mail disruption could delay mailed WCB customer payments, forms and letters

Get ahead of the potential Canada Post mail strike by signing up for direct deposit to receive automatic payments. To receive your payment, fill out a direct deposit form and send it to the WCB by email or fax.

Close X

Psychological injuries

All workers covered by The Workers' Compensation Act, 2013 are eligible for compensation and medical treatment if they suffer a psychological injury from being directly exposed to a traumatic event, a series of traumatic events or a substantial work-related stressor as part of or in the course of their employment. This coverage applies to all industries and occupations covered by the Act. Find out more.

Close X

Document name

Return to Work – Temporary Helper

Document number

POL 08/2010

Effective date: April 1, 2010

Application: All workers receiving vocational rehabilitation programs and services as of the effective date.

Policy subject: Return to work and vocational rehabilitation

Purpose:

To establish provision of temporary helpers in a return-to-work plan for self-employed or those employed under a contract for service.

DEFINITION

Return to Work (RTW) means the act of re-introducing the worker to safe and suitable productive employment that eliminates or minimizes wage loss, as soon as medically possible.

BACKGROUND

Section 111 of The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 (the “Act”), states that the Workers’ Compensation Board (the “WCB”) “may take any measures that it considers necessary or expedient . . . to assist an injured worker in returning to work.”
Under Section 69, where a worker’s injury results in a loss of earnings, the WCB may provide partial wage loss benefits based on the difference between the worker’s pre-injury and post-injury earnings.
The WCB supports the functional rehabilitation model, which recognizes the importance of returning the worker to functional activities relevant to their life, including returning to work, during the recovery period. Early return to work (RTW) serves as a therapeutic component of the recovery process and is vital to the prevention of chronic disability.

POLICY

The primary goal of a RTW plan is to return the worker to full duties with the pre-injury employer as soon as medically possible. Where medical restrictions prevent an immediate return to full duties, a transitional return-to-work plan may be designed to reinforce the recovery process by promoting a gradual restoration to the worker’s pre-injury duties and tasks. Policy, POL 08/96, Return-to-Work Plans, will apply.
Where unable to perform all pre-injury duties, the WCB may assist the worker’s RTW through reimbursement of a temporary helper’s wage. The helper will assist the worker with more difficult tasks until it is medically possible for the worker to resume full duties.
Typically, the worker requiring the temporary helper will be self-employed or under a contract for service and the employment of a helper will be short-term based on the nature and severity of the injury. Through the assistance of a helper, the worker will be able to fulfil the obligations of their employment contract and the income generated by the contract should not be reduced.
The temporary helper’s wages will be substantially lower than the worker’s and WCB reimbursement will not exceed ninety (90) per cent of the worker’s net earnings.
Compensation coverage is provided for any injury sustained by the helper during the course of their employment.