Injured workers’ satisfaction with service from WCB of PEI rise: Report

Injured workers’ satisfaction for the service they receive from the Workers’ Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island (WCBPEI) in 2020 stood at 71 per cent, according to a report released by the organization.

The mark is the second highest satisfaction rating for the board, just behind the 73 per cent recorded in 2014. It also marked the third consecutive increase in score, from 70 per cent in 2018 and 65 per cent in 2016.

“In a year of uncertainty, we were pleased to have been able to respond quickly to changes in our service delivery methods to meet the needs of our injured worker clients in a timely fashion” said Cheryl Paynter, CEO of WCBPEI. “I would like to thank our staff for their efforts, in the constantly changing environment that was 2020.”

According to the survey of 313 injured workers, the following are the most important factors when evaluating the WCB:

• being treated daily (90 per cent)
• politeness of WCB staff (77 per cent)
• how well their questions are answered (76 per cent)
• satisfaction with outcome of claim (76 per cent)
• ease of reaching WCB (76 per cent)
• length of time to get first cheque (75 per cent)
• clarity of letters (74 per cent)
• quickness of response from staff (71 per cent)
• frequency of contact (53 per cent)

In November 2020, Ontario announced it is investing $600,000 in the Office of the Worker Adviser (OWA) and Office of the Employer Adviser (OEA) to help make it easier for workers and small businesses to navigate the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board's (WSIB) compensation system.

Meanwhile, workers’ satisfaction with first contact with WCBPEI dipped to 72 per cent in 2020 from 74 per cent in 2018. This data was also at 72 per cent in 2016 and at its highest at 78 per cent in 2018.

“Client service continues to be a priority for the WCB and is at the forefront of many initiatives in the WCB’s Strategic Action Plan,” said Jim MacPhee, WCB chair. “Our stakeholder surveys continue to serve as an important tool to assess how we’re serving our clients and where we can improve.”

In the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) construction sector, lost-time injury claims are 31 per cent lower on unionized building trade construction jobs than they are in a non-union environment, according to a report from the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) released in January.