Regina, Sask., Jan. 27, 2022 – As the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread in the province, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) is further extending cost relief to June 30, 2022, for employers to cover costs for accepted work-related COVID-19 claims.
“We’re continuing to do what we can to care for injured workers and employers impacted by the pandemic,” said the WCB’s CEO Phillip Germain. “We’re accepting eligible workplace COVID-19 claims and given the recent Omicron surge, the WCB is also extending temporary financial support for employers to cover COVID-19 claim costs. By taking a proactive response to the higher transmissibility of the Omicron variant, we believe this decision will help assist workers and employers affected by COVID-19 injury claims.”
The WCB has implemented relief measures for employers and workers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing cost relief for employers. For claims that occurred in 2020 and 2021, the WCB has provided more than $5.6 million in cost relief for COVID-19 injury claims. The cost relief is funded through the WCB’s occupational disease reserve as a temporary measure to aid Saskatchewan employers.
“This most recent extension of the cost relief to June 30, 2022, is a temporary measure to provide relief to employers. We are utilizing our occupational disease reserve so that these COVID-19 claims do not affect the specific employer’s experience rating,” said Germain. “We are constantly monitoring the rapidly shifting pandemic landscape and making decisions to balance the needs of employers and injured workers.”
The WCB will cover employer costs for accepted COVID-19 claims that occur between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022. Workers will receive the support they need and the costs that employers would have been assigned will be covered through the WCB’s occupational disease reserve. This reserve is being used to address the unanticipated negative impact of the COVID-19 virus and the costs that result from any COVID-19 workplace claims. The WCB will continue to assess the impact of the pandemic to employers and workers and will communicate next steps prior to June 30.
In Saskatchewan, the WCB is legislated under The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 to maintain an Injury Fund sufficient to finance current and future injured worker claims, including earnings loss, physical and vocational rehabilitation, prevention initiatives and other obligations under the Act.
Frequently asked questions for workers and employers on COVID-19 cost relief and COVID-19 workplace injury claims are available at www.wcbsask.com.