Case 1:
1. With the advent of the internet, registering with WSIB has gotten easier over time as we now can through just four simple steps complete the registration process on the WSIB official website (www.wsib.on.ca).
First Step
This is the getting started step, here we are welcomed to the registration site, information regarding whether we are eligible to apply is available in this step, also the list of information we need to complete the registration process is given. After reading all the information given, we click on the check box that confirms our authorization to submit this registration on behalf of the employer, and acknowledges that we are submitting accurate information.
Second Step
This step involves confirming that there are other employees in the organization. Here you tick the check box that confirms that there are other employees other than yourself. After ticking the yes check box, you enter the number of employees you have which is 320 and you click on the no check box for the question on if you are a non-Ontario employer who employs workers who work in Ontario for 11 days or more within a calendar year. After that, you then click the next button. Here, you click the sole proprietorship for business type, and click next. Then you enter the date you first employed for this duty, the description of what the corporation does, and then you enter the estimated insurable earnings annually.

Third Step
This step involves providing information about the company, the information include Company Address, Mailing Address, Payroll Address, Location Address, Registration Details, Financial Institution, Ownership Information.
• Here you enter the CRA business number or tick the box that says I do not have a CRA business number, and then you enter the legal name of the company.
• You enter the postal code of the company, and click the button “Get Address”. The related information including street name, city/town, country, are gotten automatically.
• Enter the contact phone number and contact email address of the company. Choose “English” when asked, “What is your preferred language for correspondence?” Choose Yes when asked “Is your mailing address the same as your company address?”.
• Choose “Yes” when asked “Is your payroll address the same as your company address?”.
• Choose “Yes” when asked “Is the company address your only work location?” and then, click the next button.
• Answer the questions about the result of a WSIB claim, a purchase of a business or bankruptcy, and an account with the WSIB.
• Enter the company’s primary financial institution, and register its name.
• Put the name, title, and birth date of owner, partner or executive officer.
• Enter the necessary information of the individual submitting including the name of submitter, title, company name, and the contact information.
After filling out all the needed information go through them and confirm that are all accurate before finally submitting.
Fourth Step
This is the confirmation step. After the registration process has been successfully finished, we get to the confirmed page, and a confirmation number generated by the system is given.
2. Information needed to register.
1) Account number of any prior registered accounts with WSIB.
2) An indication of our predominant business activity if we have more than one as a company.
3) The number of workers our business employs. 4) The ownership structure of our business. 5) A description of the products we produce, the goods we sell or the services we provide.
6) A description of our business activities.
7) The date we first hired workers for this activity and the estimated insurable earnings for a full calendar year for this activity. 8) Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number.
9) Company legal name and trade name. 10) Company address information, including postal code, street name, city/town, 11) Phone information, including company contact phone number, fax number, contact email address and company website address. 12) Company’s payroll address.
13) Name, location and phone number for a contact person who deals with payroll records if different from our primary location.
14) Bank name.
15) Payroll Information for any other business activities we maintain as a company.
16) Company location address.
17) Financial institution. 18) Ownership information, including name of owner, partner, or executive officer. 19) Address and phone information of ownership.
20) Names and addresses of any associated employers/contractors.
21) Contact information of the submitter. 3. The WSIB has the right to determine who is an Executive Officer by reviewing the person’s responsibilities and authority within the Corporation as well as Corporate documents empowering the individual to act as an Officer of the Company being an executive is not just by name, it is determined by various factors, which include;
• Holds a position (as corporate officer or chief) and is named in your company's moment book as holding this position.
• Is identified, selected or enabled through corporate archives, for example, Articles of Incorporation, Charters, by-laws, and/or Corporation Profile Reports documented with a government or commonplace organization to go about as an officer.
• Does actually perform the obligations and executes the obligations of an official officer, as characterized by the WSIB.
• Has noteworthy practical obligations exhibiting the individual is a 'coordinating personality' and/or is completely or somewhat in charge of the association in general.
The additional requirements for the owner and executives in registration.

Names, addresses, birthdates, phone and official titles of Directors or owners of the company (and proof of earnings if we will be requesting).

4. The annual premium the company needs to pay is dependent on the following elements:
I. The health and safety risk of the type of business (in this case being furniture parts and fixtures industries): the WSIB groups business that involve the same kind of work into classification units (CU) which are then placed into rate groups based on similarly expected risks and rates of injury and illness and every year, the WSIB sets premium rates for each rate group according to the group’s injury and illness record costs. Rate groups that have higher injury and illness risks are charged higher premiums and vice-versa.
II. The size of your payroll: the premium rate applies to every $100 of the total amount of insurable earnings in a/the company’s payroll. The formula for calculating the company’s annual premium is calculated thus: annual insurable earnings in the payroll/100 x company’s group rate premium (the company’s group rate premium for 2014 can be seen on the company’s website): 18,000,000/100 x 4.17= 750,600. Therefore our annual premium is 750,600. (note: our company’s rate group is 328).
III. Our company’s health and safety record: the experience rating program of the WSIB is a scheme that involves rewarding good performance and penalizing poor performance. The rating takes into consideration the company’s history as pertaining to health and safety.
5. The benefits of registering our company with the WSIB
a) For the employer:
I. No fault collective liability: our company will receive protection from lawsuits that may accrue as a result of work related injuries, irrespective of fault.
II. Our company will not pay HST on its WSIB premium.
III. The company’s premiums are tax deductable.
b) For the workers:
I. WSIB will ensure that they get first aid treatment on the job or the nearest local treatment facilities.
II. Our workers will get benefits while he/she is at home recuperating from injury.
III. They will have access to proper treatment for his or her injury (e.g. modified job duties, training, rehabilitation etc.).
IV. Facilitate injure worker’s transition to another job i.e. by funding his education that will lead to another job.
V. Access to benefits that include
• Benefit for loss of earnings (LOE): so that if a worker misses time from work because of a work related injury or illness, the WSIB insurance will pay for the worker’s loss of earnings beginning from the working day after the injury or illness occurred.
• Health care benefits: workers receive this WSIB benefit in addition to the LOE benefits and it includes pay for costs related to workplace injury and illness such as health care, prescription drugs, medical devices and orthotics, and transportation costs associated with work-related injury or illness.
• Benefits for Non- Economic Loss (NEL): if a worker suffers permanent impairment from work-related injury or illness, the WSIB will compensate the worker for the physical, functional, or psychological loss of the impairment causes.
• Loss of Retirement income benefit (LRI): this benefit is accruable to workers under the age of 64 after having received loss of earnings benefits for 12 consecutive months. They will receive an amount equal to 5% from WSIB of all subsequent LOE benefits (this is called LRI benefits) which is 5% over and above the workers regular payment when they turn age 65.
• Occupational Diseases and Survivor program: workers, dependents, and employers affected by certain serious occupational illness such as cancer, asthma, asbestosis and silicosis, inhalation of substance and fumes and noise-induced hearing loss entitled to the specialized services that this program offers. Spouses of deceased worker are entitled to a one-time lump-sum payment and the amount decreases or increases depending on every year older or younger than 40 years respectively that the spouse was at the time of the workers death to a minimum of $35,992.12.
• Benefits for Seriously injured Workers: the WSIB through this program makes available a support team for each individual seriously injured/ severely impaired workers the support team includes a claim adjudicator, an independent living consultant, a nurse case manager and a special needs controller that meets together to learn about the worker’s case and find the best solution for that worker.
6. How registration of our company with the WSIB will help increase the company’s effectiveness in terms of lower cost and higher productivity.
The WSIB as earlier explained provides a no fault collective liability system in which our company (when registered with the WSIB) will be protected against law-suits that may arise as a result of work-related accidents or injury and the costs associated with it as well while at the same time making provisions for fair compensation of injured workers and their families through diverse provisions (such provisions are explained above in 5b) that if we were to offer as a company will cost much more money than what it takes to finance the WSIB program through premium. Also, the premium our company will pay when registered can be reduced provided that our company will inculcate sound health and safety practices as the WSIB through its workwell program assists employers who have demonstrated good occupational health and safety practices and penalizes those who have demonstrated poor injury cost and frequency history by asking and demanding more premiums from them so that they can pay more attention to their health and safety practices. Registration with the WSIB provides workplace insurance coverage for all our workers as well and their compensation when injured is guaranteed as well as far as the claim is accepted by the WSIB and this (awareness on the part of the workers) serves as a catalyst for task behaviour, membership behaviour, organization citizenship behaviour and commitment to their duties and responsibilities within our company as well as creation of safe working conditions which are all factors that in the long run affects the company’s productivity. The impact of registering with the WSIB as earlier explained will help increase the company’s effectiveness in terms of lower cost and considering the above named factors among other others will result in an increase in our company’s productivity.
7. The injury frequency rate and severity rate for 2014 is calculated thus:
Frequency rate= number of injuries/ total hours worked x 200,000, for our company, number of injuries= 55 (25+30), total hours worked= (320 x 8 x 251) 642,560. Hence, frequency rate= 55/ 642,560 x 200,000= 17.12.
Severity rate= number of days lost to injuries/ total hours worked x 200,000, where number of days lost to injuries= 69, therefore severity rate= 69/ 642,560 x 200,000= 21.48.
The lower the frequency rate, the lower the risk of injury on the job and the lower the severity rate, the lower the seriousness of injury when injury/illness occur. The rates are compared to the ones of the relative industry group average to find out whether they are higher or lower and if we are lower than the average incident cost per worker, we pay lower premiums than firms with above-average incident costs. These rates serves as incentives to companies reduce injuries and to return workers to their jobs as early as possible.
Case Two:
1. After careful analysis of the situation, the injured worker is entitled to the following WSIB benefits:
• Benefit for loss of earning (LOE): the WSIB insurance pays for loss of earnings that arises as a result of a worker missing work-time because of a work related injury or illness and it is to be considered that in this case, the worker got injured at work and therefore is entitled to this benefit starting from the working day after the injury occurred.
• Health Care benefits: in addition to the loss of earning benefits, the WSIB benefits also pay for costs that include health care, prescription drugs, medical devices and orthotics, and transportation cost associated with work-related injury.
• Benefit for non-economic loss (NEL) when taking into consideration the fact that the injured worker suffered permanent impairment at work i.e. he lost/will lose most of his right arm, his right ear, and sight in his right eye which fits in into the category of permanent impairment from a work related injury for which the WSIB pays a non-economic loss benefit to compensate for the physical, functional or physiological loss caused by the impairment. It is to be noted that the medical authority have already assessed and confirmed his impairment to be 58%.
• Loss of retirement income benefits (LRI); the injured worker is entitled to this benefit considering that he is just 48years old and fits into the requirement of under the age of 64 necessary to qualify for this benefit. After receiving LOE for 12 consecutive months, he will be entitled to an amount of 5% of all subsequent LOE benefits which is the LRI. The injured worker will only get this benefit at age 65 and the LRI 5% payment earlier explained is over the regular payment.
2. How the injured worker will receive the above mentioned benefits
• Benefit for loss of earning: the injured worker will receive the loss of earning benefit until he is no longer impaired by the work-related injury, or longer has a loss of earnings, or until he reaches the age of 65. Even if the injured worker is still impaired at age 65, LOE benefits stop.
• Benefit for non-economic lost: the worker can choose to get this payment as a lump sum or as a monthly installment for the rest of his life.
• Loss of retirement income benefits: at the age of 65, the injured worker will receive this benefit from WSIB based a) On the amount WSIB set aside for him, plus b) The amount contributed by the injured worker himself, Plus c) Any investment income that the contribution earns.
Depending on the total amount based on the three Iterated above, the injured worker can choose to either receive his LRI benefits monthly payments if he is eligible or decide to distribute the total over the life of the benefit.

3. How the benefits will be calculated:
a) Loss of earning benefit: the LOE benefit is calculated depending on the date the injury occurred. It is determined by 85% of the worker’s take home pay up to $85,300 (for 2015). In this particular case, the injured worker will receive 85% of $51,000= 43,350.
b) Benefit for non-economic loss: the non-economic loss benefit is calculated by expressing the injured worker’s impairment as a percentage (a higher percentage signifies a more serious impairment and vice-versa) and the percentage is then multiplied by a base amount which is determined by law. It is to be noted that certain adjustment are also made to the benefit depending on the age of the concerned injured worker. The base NEL benefit amount is $55,124.53 and for every year under 45years old you were at the time of the injury, $1,159.43 is added and for every year over 45years of age, $1,159.43 will be deducted. So, in this particular case, the NEL benefit the injured worker will receive= (55,124.53 – 1,159.43*3) * 58%= 29,954.82.
c) Loss of retirement income benefit: being under the age of 64, after receiving the LOE benefits for 12 consecutive months, the injured worker will receive an amount of 5% of all subsequent LOE benefits- this is the LRI benefit and this 5% is over and above the injured worker’s regular payment. The injured worker will only receive this payment when he turns age 65 and the LRI benefit he will receive the will depend on the combination of factors that include the amount WSIB set aside for him, plus any amount he contributed himself, plus any investment income that the contributions earned. Respective of the total amount, his LRI benefit may be given to him all at once, or in monthly payments and if he dies before age 65 as a result of natural death, the payment will go to his dependent. However, if he dies as a result of his injury, his dependents will receive survivor’s benefit and if he has no dependent, his estate will receive any money he contributed and its investment income.
4. How the company can file this accident and help the injured worker claim the benefits:
The company needs to report the incident to the Ministry of Labour Health and Safety, submit a written report to the WSIB which should contain a detailed explanation of the accident using form 7 (the employer’s report of injury), form 8 ( the physician’s first report) and form 6 (the worker’s report of the injury) which should be filled as well.
5. The Experience rating program of WSIB involves a process that rewards good performance and punishes bad performers in workplace health and safety. Taking into consideration the severity of this accident and, also the fact that the plant has never been thoroughly analyzed for hazard, the company’s WSIB premium rate will increase as in terms of performance the company will rate poorly on the WSIB experience rating program.
6. Recommendations on how the company can effectively control hazards and prevent accidents from reoccurring in the workplace
• We should appoint competent supervisors that are health and safety conscious: these supervisors will advise our workers of the existence of any potential or actual damage to the health or safety of the worker of which the supervisor is aware
• we should ensure that work is performed in a safe manner and that the environment is free from hazards and serious risks
• we should encourage our workers to do a routine check of their working space daily and from time to time so as to be aware and be able to identify possible potential hazards
• we should also reinforce the awareness of our workers to the fact that it is their responsibility to perform their task and duties in a safe manner
• we should provide written safe work procedures that are understood and followed by workers
• we should have a regular and updated check-list of potential hazards in the workplace, identify and enforce possible precautions to this
• we should provide our workers with adequate instruction, training, supervision and discipline to work safely
• we should conduct regularly, periodic and thorough inspection of the workplace
• we should conduct job hazard analysis to ensure that all tasks associated with each job are done in a safe manner
• we should label potential hazards in the workplace so that our workers will know and be reminded that they are to keep away from the marked areas
7. Recommendations on how the company can manage disability and facilitate early and safe return to work, or labour market re-entry
• we should create and run a corporate culture that values employees and establish them as an integral part of the workforce
• By the introduction of rehabilitation program and provision of adequate treatment all through the rehabilitation phase.
• Our top management must support programs that revolve around disabled and/or injured workers
• Work modification/accommodation for the injured worker if and when he is able to return to the job (this is to facilitate early return to work) however if not possible, we should facilitate his transition to another job i.e. by funding his education that will lead to another job
• We should ensure early and regular intervention
• We should create a data system
• We should develop case management capacity