Opportunities and Challenges

WorkplaceNL will continue to support injured workers and employers by focusing on ways to reduce workplace injury and illness, help workers return to work, provide more online services and manage policies to reduce costs. Reducing injuries and illnesses WorkplaceNL works closely with workplaces and safety partners to contain growth in the injury rate. In 2018, the lost-time incidence rate was at 1.6 per 100 workers. While the injury rate has remained between 1.5 and 1.6 since 2012, WorkplaceNL recognizes that further reduction in the injury rate will require leadership and collaboration from all workplace parties and safety partners. WorkplaceNL and Service NL’s joint five-year injury prevention strategy, Advancing a Strong Safety Culture in Newfoundland and Labrador (2018-2022), developed in consultation with safety partners, provides the framework for everyone to help protect workers from hazards in the workplace. The strategy focuses on eight health and safety priorities: 1. musculoskeletal injuries, 2. occupational disease and illness, 3. falls, 4. serious injuries, 5. young workers, 6. workplace violence, 7. traffic control, and 8. psychological health and safety. WorkplaceNL will continue to partner with safety associations, employers, workers, labour groups and employer groups to improve the safety performance at workplaces, within an industry and on a provincial scale. More efficient and online services

In its 2017 to 2019 Strategic Plan, WorkplaceNL committed to identify ways to deliver its programs and services more efficiently. There are opportunities to make services more accessible and modern for injured workers and employers. WorkplaceNL will continue to review its routine processes, explore cloud-based solutions that appropriately protect the privacy and security of sensitive data and develop digital services that benefit injured workers, employers and health care providers. Health care costs and access to services

There remain ongoing challenges with timely access to health care services and rising health care costs. In order to control costs, WorkplaceNL negotiates memorandums of agreement with all major health care provider groups, focuses on proactive case management and effective medical management of claims, and procures medical and health care items through the public tendering process. WorkplaceNL also adheres to the provincial generic drug pricing policy. Financially sustainable employer-funded system The Injury Fund has been fully-funded for five years. In that time, there has been a 38 per cent decrease in the assessment rates paid by employers to fund the system, including a discount of $0.21 per $100 payroll in 2019. As well, significant improvements to benefits for injured workers have been introduced, including: higher income replacement rate at 85 per cent, presumptive coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder for all workers and, new retirement benefits for more injured workers. WorkplaceNL continues to be a responsible steward of the employer-funded Injury Fund. We rely on our long-term stakeholder-agreed Funding Policy to responsibly manage a financially sustainable system that sets assessment rates based on the costs of workplace injury claims and administration.