Ontario has announced plans to expand workplace safety and insurance coverage to health care and support staff in privately managed residential care facilities, retirement homes, and group homes.
The legislation, if passed, will be part of a broader set of changes to labour rules in the province, Labour Minister David Piccini said in an April 8 press conference in Hamilton.
He said details of those measures will be introduced “in the coming days,” but noted that the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) coverage he was unveiling would close a “long-standing gap” for the nearly 30,000 workers providing care in private facilities.
WSIB coverage in Ontario operates as a no-fault insurance system designed to protect workers and employers by offering benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses. This coverage includes medical expenses, rehabilitation, and lost wages for employees, while shielding employers from legal action….