NEWS RELEASE |
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WCB APPEAL CHANGES IMPROVE RESPONSIVENESS
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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Backgrounder | Backgrounder |
VICTORIA – A revised appeals process for the workers’ compensation system is needed to provide fair, timely and consistent decisions, Labour Minister Graham Bruce said today.
“We made a New Era commitment to make the workers’ compensation system more responsive to injured workers and employers alike,” said Bruce. “This legislation improves quality decision-making and ensures timely resolution of appeals, something injured workers need to get on with their lives.”
Bill 63, the Workers Compensation Amendment Act (No. 2), 2002, introduced today, reduces the levels of review and appeal of WCB decisions from three to two, creates a new internal review function to improve the quality of initial decision-making and establishes a new, independent appeal tribunal as the final level of appeal for workers’ compensation matters. The bill replaces Bill 56, the Workers Compensation Amendment Act (No. 2), 2002, introduced in May.
“We promised in May to consult with workers and employers over the summer,” said Bruce. “As a result of those consultations, we revised one section of the legislation on health professional assistance and another on transitional provisions. Our goal is to serve injured workers better by ensuring decisions are made efficiently so people can return to work and pursue new opportunities.”
The bill provides for the WCB board to set binding policy to improve initial decision-making. A new, independent appeal tribunal will provide feedback on the quality of those initial decisions, as well as delivering high quality, efficient and consistent final appeal decisions.
“We want to break the cycle of hopelessness created by a cumbersome and ultimately unfair decision-making process,” said Bruce. “This system is more straightforward and responsive, and will, on average, take less than half the time to get to a decision that is final and fair.”
The new system results from recommendations of the Alan Winter report on WCB legislation and policy released in May, and the 1999 Royal Commission on Workers’ Compensation. It is the second step in a multi-step process to make the WCB more responsive to workers and employers.
In May, legislation was passed that restores the system to financial sustainability, modernizes how benefits for injured workers are calculated, and improves management of the system by restructuring Workers’ Compensation Board governance. Over the summer, the minister asked for nominations from union, business and health-care associations; unions; actuaries; and others in the private sector. Government will announce a new board of directors later this fall.
Further legislation is scheduled to be introduced and debated in the house this fall to cover the second phase of WCB reform. A discussion paper released this spring asked for feedback from interested groups on such topics as occupational health, vocational rehabilitation, survivor benefits and rights of the estate.
“I thank those who provided input to the ministry and look forward to making changes that take us one step further to a fair workers’ compensation system,” said Bruce.
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Visit the province's Web site at http://www.gov.bc.ca/ for online information and services. |
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Communications Director 250 387-2699 |
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