What is WSIB?
WSIB stands for Worker’s Safety and Insurance Board. It is a provincial agency that collects premiums from most employers in Ontario. The WSIB pools those premiums into a collective fund and manages it. The latter generally includes making payments to workers who were injured on the job or who developed occupational diseases resulting from their employment.
Do Dentists Need WSIB for their Employees?
Dentist employers always ask whether they need to maintain worker’s compensation insurance for their employees.
The simple answer is NO. There is no obligation on dentist employers to get or maintain WSIB for their employees. In fact, section 3 of the Workers Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, SO 1997, c. 16, Sch. A, O Reg 175/98 specifically excludes employers in the dentistry field from having to obtain and maintain WSIB for employees.
Should Dentists Get WSIB for their Employees?
Just because it is not mandatory for dentist employers to maintain WSIB for their employees, it does not mean that it is not advisable. Here are a few reasons why you may want to look into getting WSIB:
- WSIB benefits automatically replace the employee’s right to sue their employer for similar benefits for workplace injury;
- WSIB insurance replaces lost earnings and covers heath care costs resulting from work-related injuries;
- WSIB provides education and training to help prevent injuries in the first place; and
- WSIB aids in getting your employees recovered and back to work sooner.
Importantly, WSIB is a way to limit liability for workplace injuries. Even non-believers who have adamantly proclaimed that “it won’t happen to me” have been made believers – it only takes one injury, one time, to one employee for them to see the worth and the benefits provided by WSIB.
If you want more information on WSIB benefits, premiums or any other information, you can visit them on-line at wsib.on.ca or call them at 416-344-1000.
