Document name
Family Support – Seriously Injured Workers
Document number
POL 06/2019

Effective date: October 1, 2019

Application: Applies to the families of seriously injured workers on or after the effective date.

Policy subject: Allowance and expenses

Purpose:

To support families by reimbursing reasonable expenses resulting from the family's attendance at a treatment facility for a seriously injured worker.

DEFINITION

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Immediate family member, for the purpose of this policy, means a spouse, parent, legal guardian, grandparent, child, grandchild, or sibling.

BACKGROUND

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The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 authorizes the WCB to provide support to the dependants of workers who are seriously injured (Sections 19(1)(a), 20(1)(a) and 115(j)). It is the WCB’s intent to extend this support to immediate family members defined above, even if they are not considered financially dependent on the worker’s earnings.

POLICY

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  1. For the purpose of this policy, a seriously injured worker is someone who sustains a life-threatening injury, or an injury that results in a permanent loss of function or significant disfigurement. These types of injuries can be both physical and/or psychological in nature. Such injuries may include, but are not limited to, quad or paraplegia, upper or lower limb amputation, severe head injury, severe burns, blindness.
  2. When a worker becomes seriously injured, immediate family members may attend the treating facility and remain with the worker immediately following the injury/diagnosis. The WCB will provide support by reimbursing reasonable expenses resulting from the family's attendance at a treatment facility.
  3. This support could include, but is not limited to, the following:
    1. Travel.
    2. Child care.
    3. Family member earnings loss benefits.
    4. Counselling.

Policy references

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Legislative Authority

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The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013
Sections 2(1)(y), 19(1)(a), 20(1)(a), 23(1), 115(j)

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Document History

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(1) POL and PRO 19/2016, Support – Families of Seriously and Fatally Injured Workers (effective 23 August 2016 to 30 September 2019).
(2) POL and PRO 06/2014, Support – Family of Seriously Injured Workers (effective 29 April 2014 to 23 August 2016).
(3) POL 11/2001, Family Support in Exceptional Circumstances (effective 30 November 2001 to 29 April 2014).
 

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Complements

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