Injury claims up 20 per cent, lost-days due to injury more than doubles
A school division in Saskatchewan received a significant reduction in its Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) insurance premiums even though injury numbers went up last year, according to a report.
The Prairie South School Division (PSSD) received a $67,726 discount on its premiums, reducing its total cost to $164,478 from a base premium of $232,204, reported Moose Jaw Today.
This is the day even though the division reported a 21 per cent increase in employee injury claims during the 2023-24 school year, according to the report.
WCB accepted 17 injury claims from the division in 2024, up from 14 the previous year. These injuries resulted in 609 time-loss days, an increase from 312 in 2023. Costs for compensation and medical expenses rose to $131,436 from $123,543, Moose Jaw Today reported, citing a human resources accountability report at PSSD.
The increase in time-loss days was “a significant amount” and was due to two employees being on long-term absence, Amy Johnson, human resources superintendent, said during the January board meeting, according to the report.
Meanwhile, there was also “a bright spot”: one employee who agreed to retrain and was now working in a different position.
Illness-related absences
Average illness-related absences among staff varied, with teachers certified by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation reporting the highest rate at 25.8 days in 2023-24. CUPE staff reported an average of 19.3 days, while bus drivers had the lowest at 10.6 days, reported Moose Jaw Today.
In total, illness-related absences for the year included 3,148.76 days for certified teachers, 1,197.21 days for all classroom teachers, 637.5 days for CUPE staff, and 147.5 days for bus drivers.
The division also addressed several labour relations matters. Disciplinary actions included verbal warnings, letters of discipline, suspensions, and terminations. The teachers’ union filed no grievances, while CUPE filed three, all of which were resolved or withdrawn, according to the report.
PSSD employed 1,379 staff in 937.32 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions during 2023-24. Classroom teachers represented the largest group with 431.6 FTEs, followed by educational staff at 266.17 FTEs and transportation staff at 117 FTEs.
