Initiatives originally introduced in June 2022 will now run until end of 2024
It’s small business week, and considering the ongoing challenges faced by small business owners in today’s economic landscape, it can be easy to lose sight of the importance of workplace health and safety.
To assist smaller businesses in prioritizing and enhancing health and safety measures, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is extending additional incentives through its Health and Safety Excellence program, which was initially introduced in June 2022. These incentives will remain in effect until the end of 2024.
A recent study revealed employees in small businesses are 44 percent more likely to experience work-related injuries compared to their counterparts in larger enterprises, potentially attributable to less robust health and safety policies and procedures.
The extension of the WSIB incentives offers smaller businesses, defined as those with up to 99 full-time employees, the opportunity to:
- Earn double rebates in both 2023 and 2024.
- Receive $1,000 towards their health and safety plan in both 2023 and 2024.
"Extending the additional incentives to the end of 2024 to help even more smaller businesses double their rebates while creating safer workplaces wasn't a hard decision,” says Rod Cook, vice president of workplace health and safety services at the WSIB. “Every business that invests in health and safety means fewer injuries in the long run, so it's important for us to help however we can."
The Health and Safety Excellence program facilitates the connection between Ontario businesses and approved providers within their respective industry or community. These providers assist in devising a customized plan based on 39 available health and safety topics. As businesses complete each topic, they become eligible for rebates on their WSIB premiums. Since its inception in 2020, the program has disbursed over $45 million in rebates.
Smaller businesses seeking further information or wishing to enroll in the Health and Safety Excellence program can do so via the WSIB's official website.
