Return to work pilot project
Construction Safety Nova Scotia (CSNS) and the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Nova Scotia are working collectively with the construction sector to improve return to work (RTW) outcomes by helping injured workers get back to work faster.
Over the past several months, we have been engaging with workers, employers, health care providers and other stakeholders to identify the current state of RTW experiences and discuss potential solutions to making the RTW process faster.
Through these engagement sessions, one theme continued to emerge: small and medium construction companies, in particular, are experiencing challenges navigating the RTW process. In an effort to rectify this, CSNS is launching a pilot project in collaboration with WCB to test out the following services:
Transitional Job Matching: Pilot a service to match injured workers with meaningful and productive transitional work with other employers across the construction industry.
RTW employer hotline: Pilot a service to provide construction industry-specific RTW support to help employers navigate the RTW process when they need it by providing specific RTW process information and coordinating the flow of communication between parties.
Both of these services will be offered by CSNS. Your point of contact for either of these programs will be our Return to Work Project Consultant, Joy Moore at jmoore@constructionsafetyns.ca
TRANSITIONAL JOB MATCHING
Benefits of a transitional job matching program:
- Support employers in meeting their labour demands.
- Support workers in staying connected to the workplace.
- Address the labour shortage.
- Improve productivity.
- Decreased WCB premium rates because workers are doing transitional work rather than drawing on WCB benefits.
FAQs
FAQs FOR THE HOST EMPLOYER:
Q. What are the benefits to me of being a host employer?
A. Many employers are feeling the labour crunch across the construction sector. This project will open up a new source of labour to fulfill your workforce needs, stay productive, and complete your contracts on time. The costs paid by WCB on claims will impact the rates of the individual employer and the collective rates of the industry, so every injury we prevent and person that is able to return to work benefits everyone.
Q. Do I pay the worker for this transitional work?
A. Yes, you would be responsible for paying wages as you would for any employee you would hire. However, if the transitional wage is lower than the amount of the worker’s earnings replacement benefits, as always, the WCB would ensure the worker received benefits to bring their total compensation in line with the full earnings loss benefits to which they would be entitled.
Q. What if the worker gets injured in the transitional job at my company?
A. Generally speaking, if the worker is re-injured while in their transitional job (recurrence), the liability will be with the pre-injury employer. If it is a new injury, the liability will be with the net-new employer. (Aligned with WCB Policy 4.3.1 and Procedure 3.1.7)
Q. Ultimately, what responsibilities am I assuming as the host employer?
A. The same responsibilities that you would have for any employee you hire, including safety training and pay.
Q. I have an open job, how do I submit it?
A. Please contact our our Return to Work Project Consultant, Joy Moore at jmoore@constructionsafetyns.ca
Q. How will CSNS support me once the worker is placed at my company?
A. Our RTW Coordinator will remain your point of contact as long as the worker stays in the transitional role and will be available to answer and assist with any questions you may have.
Q. What if the worker wants to stay at my company instead of going back to their pre-injury employer?
A. This decision ultimately rests with the worker. The Worker can choose to continue working for the Host employer once they can fully return to work, if that is an option available to them.
FAQs FOR THE PRE-INJURY EMPLOYER:
Q. I don’t want my worker going to work for that particular employer. What can I do?
A. You do not have to sign off on the placement. Participation in the pilot program will be voluntary for the Employer and Employee (both must agree).
Q. What happens if my worker is injured when working in their transitional job at the other company?
A. Generally speaking, if the worker is re-injured while in their transitional job (recurrence), the liability will be with the pre-injury employer. If it is a new injury, the liability will be with the host employer. (Aligned with WCB Policy 4.3.1 and Procedure 3.1.7)
Q. How will the worker know the new job is safe?
A. A RTW coordinator will vet the transitional job opportunities to ensure they are within the safe work capabilities of the worker.
Q. Do I pay the worker for this transitional work?
A. No. Responsibility for payment of wages lies with the host employer. However, if the transitional wage is lower than the amount of the worker’s earnings replacement benefits, as always, the WCB would ensure the worker received benefits to bring their total compensation in line with the full earnings loss benefits to which they would be entitled.
Q. What if the worker wants to stay at my company instead of going back to their pre-injury employer?
A. This decision ultimately rests with the worker. The worker can choose to continue working with their net-new employer once they can fully return to work, if that is an option available to them.
RETURN TO WORK EMPLOYER HOTLINE
Starting July 4, CSNS will be piloting a service to provide construction industry-specific RTW support to help employers navigate the RTW process when they need it. We will be providing specific RTW process information and coordinating the flow of communication between parties. Joy Moore, our Return to Work Consultant with CSNS, will be the coordinator for this pilot project. You can call her or email her with any return to work questions you may have. She can be reached at lross@construcitonsafetyns.ca or 902-223-4499. The goal of this RTW hotline is to help support our members — especially small- and medium-sized companies — navigate the sometimes complex and confusing RTW process. Joy will be offering the following services:
- Advice and support to employers in navigating the claims process and return-to-work planning.
- Answering frequently asked questions that employers have as it relates to RTW
- Supporting employers in understanding the process flow for RTW
- Directing employers to useful WCB resources.
