Several major reviews of WSIB finances have been undertaken in the past two decades.
The WSIB Funding Review (2010-2011), chaired by Professor Harry Arthurs, followed a series of reports commenting on the Board’s finances, including the the 2009 Auditor General’s report (s.3.14) and 2010 Chair’s Consultation report (Steve Mahoney).
The Arthurs Review considered unfunded liability, premium rate setting, rate groups, employer incentive programs (experience rating), funding occupational disease claims and indexation of benefits. The injured worker community participated in large numbers, with personal accounts and detailed submissions, and raised related issues that should be considered, particularly universal coverage.
Although his comprehensive report “Funding Fairness” (May 2012) supported a transition to full funding, Arthurs made other recommendations that would help injured workers if adopted, in particular that:
- The unfunded liability should not be used to treat injured workers unfairly – that increased claim denials and reduced benefits should not be used to achieve the WSIB’s financial target
- All injured workers should be fully and automatically protected from inflation and rise in the cost of living
- If it cannot prevent and punish claims suppression (a ‘moral crisis’), the Board should discontinue its experience rating
- Injured workers do not have enough resources to speak out
- The WSIB should deal with the issue of universal coverage
Even before Professor Arthurs issued his report, amendments to the Act (WSIA) and WSIB practices (including major cuts to benefits) were pushed through that were not in line with his recommendations but were in step with the widely critiqued 2010/2011 KPMG Value-for-Money audit.
The 2013 Rate Framework Consultation (2013-4), chaired by Douglas Stanley, and its final report “Pricing Fairness” (2014,) also disregarded the Arthurs’ Funding Review recommendations on rate setting and experience rating. Further Rate Framework Modernization consultations (completed 2016) and the Rate Framework Policy Consultation (2017-Jan. 2018) followed, with new policies in effect Jan. 1, 2020.
- Ontario Legal Clinics’ Workers’ Compensation Network. 2012 Jan. Submission re KPMG Value-for-Money Audit.
- Injured Workers’ Consultants. 2011. Submissions to the WSIB Funding Review. Toronto: IWC. Apr. 27, June 15, Aug. 31, Nov. 18.