The Harris government’s legislation reforming Ontario’s workers’ compensation system has received Royal Assent (for previous articles on the subject, see “Jackson report on WCB: Targeting the unfunded liability” on our Publications page; “Emphasis on early return to work in new workers’ compensation legislation” on our What’s New page; and “New Amendments to Workers’ Compensation Act announced” on our Publications page). With the exception of two provisions, the new Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1996 came into force on January 1, 1998. The new return to work provisions will take effect on July 1, 1998. Until July, the vocational rehabilitation provisions (ss. 53(1)-(3)) of the repealed Workers’ Compensation Act will continue to apply. The new sections on benefit entitlement for chronic pain will come into effect later, following an independent study on the link between chronic pain and physical injury.
For more information on this subject, please contact Colleen Dunlop at (613) 563-7660, Extension 222.
