2009
POL 01/2009
Injuries Psychological
This policy and its complementary procedure (PRO 01/2009) establish guidelines for adjudicating psychological injury claims. Psychological injury claims are classified into two categories based on cause: acute cause or chronic cause. The former refers to injuries resulting from a specific, dramatic and sudden incident. Chronic cause claims result from a series of events or incidents over time. There are separate sets of eligibility criteria for chronic cause claims, depending on whether the psychological injury resulted from a series of events arising out of employment in a job where traumatic events may be experienced or from employment in a non-traumatic type job. Further, accepted psychological claims (both acute and chronic) will be considered for entitlement to a Permanent Functional Impairment award as outlined in PFI General Policy (POL 05/2007).

POL 02/2009
Employer Late Reporting of Injury Claims
This policy and its complementary procedure (PRO 02/2009) establish guidelines for the prosecution of employers for late reporting of work injuries. Where an injury as defined by Section 2(k) of the Act occurs, the employer must report the injury to WCB in accordance with Section 52 of the Act. Where it is determined that an employer has contravened Section 52 of the Act and has a chronic pattern of late reporting of injuries, WCB will provide the employer with a grace period in order to provide the employer with time to correct reporting problems. If the employer continues to be late in reporting injuries to WCB during the grace period, WCB will take further action, including the possibility of enforcement proceedings as provided for under Section 53 of the Act.

POL 03/2009
Suspension of Benefits
This policy and its complementary procedure (PRO 03/2009) establish guidelines for the suspension of benefits. Suspension of benefits will result where loss of earnings is prolonged as a result of a client’s (i.e. worker or dependent spouse) non-attendance or non-participation in an injury treatment program. Conversely, where non-attendance/non-participation has no effect on loss of earnings, benefits will not be suspended. Where non-participation is the result of a “good reason” (i.e. circumstances or matters beyond a client’s control), a notice period of up to four weeks may be provided to the client in order to deal with the circumstances and return to treatment. An appendix (Appendix A) is attached to PRO 03/2009 as a guideline for determining what circumstances would be considered acceptable as a good reason.

PRO 04/2009
Expenses - Travel & Sustenance - PSC Rates
PRO 04/2009 supersedes PRO 54/2008. This procedure provides the rates at which WCB clients and staff are reimbursed for travel and sustenance expenses incurred while attending to WCB business. As this procedure is based upon rates established by the Public Service Commission (PSC), it is revised each time the PSC revises its travel and sustenance rates. The PSC has just updated mileage rates and effective as of May 15, 2009, those rates are now 36.23 cents/km (ordinary) and 39.01 cents/km (north of the 54th Parallel). No other changes were made to travel and sustenance rates.

2008
4.5.1.3 (POL 01/2008)
Suspension of Benefits - Pregnancy
This policy has been updated to clarify that where the pregnancy and conditions related to the pregnancy are the sole reason for interruption or delay in returning to work (i.e. worker has recovered from work injury); or the pregnancy has terminated (i.e. through childbirth) and non work-related factors cause a delay in treatment or vocational programming, earnings loss benefits will be suspended. Up to four weeks will be provided for the worker to access alternate income maintenance plans (i.e. Employment Insurance benefits).

6.6 (POL 02/2008)
Compensation -Layoff, Strike or Lockout
This policy has been updated to clarify the level of compensation benefits available in the event of short or long-term interruption to return-to-work programming as a result of strike, layoff or lockout. Where the worker is declared fit for full pre-injury employment while the layoff, strike, or lockout continues, benefits will cease.

4.1.5.3 (POL 03/2008)
Offset of Canada or Quebec Pension Plan Benefits
This policy updates and amalgamates five former policies related to the partial or full offset of Canada or Quebec Pension Plan Benefits when workers are also in receipt of WCB compensation benefits. In accordance with Section 99 of the Act, offset of CPP/QPP benefits is to be effective after a client has received 12 months of WCB benefits in total per injury.

4.4.3.4 (POL 04/2008)
PFI - Occupational Disease
The policy has been updated to provide the maximum PFI award in cases of terminal occupational disease when it is medically confirmed the disease has resulted in a degree of impairment. Workers may also be eligible for an independence allowance in order to maintain a reasonable degree of independence. No PFI will be payable in cases of fatality except where POL 06/78 - PFI - Fatal Claims applies.

6.17 (POL 05/2008)
Interjurisdictional Agreement on Workers' Compensation (IJA)
This policy updates the IJA that provides compensation to workers or their dependents where work is performed partly within Saskatchewan and partly in another province or territory.

2007
2.2.1.3 (POL 01/2007)
Experience Rating Program
In December 2005, WCB received feedback from stakeholders in regards to the 2006 changes to the Experience Rating Program. As a result, the Experience Rating Review Committee provided recommendations for changes to the program for 2007, approved under this new policy and its complementary procedure (PRO 01/2007).

5.1 (POL 02/2007)
Initial Entitlement & (Re) Employment Assistance-Dependent Spouses
In accordance with Sections 83 and 97 of the Act, this new policy specifies initial entitlement to benefits and re-employment assistance for dependent spouses where the death of the worker may or may not be due to the compensable injury.

2.1.3.2 (POL 03/2007)
Calculation of Net Compensation Payable
In accordance with Section 68(4), this policy and its complementary procedure (PRO 03/2007) establishes a table of earnings for the purposes of calculating net compensation under Section 68(3)(b). For all legislated changes to the base calculations, WCB will publish revised tables of earnings and incorporate them into the calculation of "net earnings loss" when income tax changes become available. A worker's net earnings will be based on gross earnings, less the probable deductions for tax credits and/or tax exemptions the worker has authorized the employer to deduct from employment earnings at the commencement of the loss of earnings. Any changes following the initial commencement of loss of earnings will be adjusted prospectively on the anniversary date of the claim.

6.5.1 - (POL 04/2007)
Third Party Actions/Subrogation
This new policy and its complementary procedure PRO 04/2007 outline the circumstances under which a worker has a right of action against an employer or where the WCB may take steps to recover the costs of accepted work-related claims. In addition, there is a provision included to ensure employers are provided cost relief where WCB is successful in pursuing third party/subrogation actions.

4.4.3.2 (POL 5/2007)
PFI - General
This policy and its complementary procedure PRO 05/2007 have been updated to clarify that WCB will review a worker's eligibility for other entitlements such as independence allowance (IA) where a permanent functional impairment (PFI) award is reduced upon reassessment. WCB will not seek retroactive recovery based on the original PFI rating, but, where applicable, the worker's IA will be reduced or discontinued effective the first of the month following the date of the decision to reduce the PFI award. In addition, a new provision for awarding a PFI for psychological impairment is now included in the policy.

1.9 (POL 06/2007)
Coverage - Students in Work-Based Learning Assignments
This policy and its complementary procedure PRO 06/2007 has been updated to extend coverage to post-secondary students who are completing their education out of province but are returning to Saskatchewan for the work-based learning portion of their curriculum..

6.7 (POL 07/2007)
Voluntary Relocation Outside Canada
This policy and its complementary procedure PRO 07/2007 has been updated to allow clients residing outside of Canada to choose electronic transfer of funds where a bank account is domiciled in Canada. Providing this option will enhance customer service by ensuring the payment of benefits in a timely and efficient manner.

6.8 (POL 08/2007)
Compensation Rate - Where No Earnings at Disablement or Death
This policy has been updated to clarify the provisions for those clients who, under various circumstances, have no earnings at the time of disability or death on which to base compensation benefits. The WCB interprets the intent of the legislation not to penalize the worker who persisted in employment initially, nor to deny benefits where the nature of the injury does not produce disability or death immediately.

2.1.3.1 (POL 09/2007)
Classification, Change Of
This policy and its complementary procedure PRO 09/2007 sets out the circumstances under which WCB will change an employer's classification: where the nature of the business changes and the current industry classification is no longer appropriate; or, the nature of the business has not changed but the firm has been misclassified.

4.4.3.3 (POL 10/2007)
Disfigurement Awards
This policy and its complementary procedure PRO 10/2007 is updated to ensure disfigurement awards are to be made in accordance with the established formulae at the time of assessment. Case Managers are generally responsible for evaluating disfigurement awards, however, a WCB Medical Consultant will do so where examination is undertaken to assess a permanent functional impairment (PFI) and disfigurement is also apparent, or where the worker's privacy is at issue.

3.1.5.5 (POL 11/2007)
Injuries - Fire Fighters
This policy has been updated as a result of amendments to section 29.1 of the Act to expand the types of cancers acceptable for presuming occupational disease for fire fighters and prescribes minimum periods of employment for each under section 22.3 of the General Regulations. Also new to legislation is the provision for cardiac injuries that manifest within 24 hours after attendance at an emergency response. In the case of primary site lung cancer, a new section 22.4 prescribes the minimum periods for which a fire fighter must be a non-smoker for the presumption of occupational disease.

3.1.5.2 (POL 12/2007)
Injuries - Cardiac
This policy has been updated as a result of amendments to section 29.1 of the Act and section 22.3 of the General Regulations. Where a fire fighter suffers a heart attack within 24 hours after attendance at an emergency response, it is presumed to be an occupational disease. No minimum period of employment applies.

4.4.2.1 (POL 14/2007)
Pension Commutation (Old Act)
Consistent with the guiding principles for which pension commutations are to be granted for workers under the Old Act (prior to 1980), this policy and its complementary procedure updates the process by which a worker may request this option.

2.1.3.2 (POL 15/2007)
Classification of Industries - 2008 Premium Rates
This policy established the 2008 premium rates. Classification reviews for the Education and Forestry industries resulted in adjustments to the composition of the G11 and G12 rate codes and F31 has been reclassified to M33.

6.3 (POL 16/2007)
Funding Policy
This policy and its complementary procedure has been updated to ensure the targeted range estimated for the Injury Fund and the levels of the various reserves reflect today's environment while maintaining a fully funded status that is consistent with the statutory requirements of the Act.

4.1.3.6 (POL 17/2007)
Compensation Rate - Maximum, 2008 - Section 38
Effective 01 January 2008, this policy has updated the maximum wage rate for any worker sustaining injury before 01 September 1985. Although calculated to be $59,000 per annum, Section 38.1 limits the maximum compensation rate to $55,000.

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