CANADA NEW BRUNSWICK Three Day Waiting Period for Workers Comp May Be Eliminated for Fire and Police

Pending Workers’ Comp Policy Change for Police and Firefighters

The New Brunswick (Canada) government is leaning toward the elimination of a current three-day waiting period for workers’ compensation benefits for police and firefighters, but does not expect to offer related legislation this fall according to OHS Canada.

“Our premier and our government are committed to it, but at the same time we have to be responsible in how we move forward,” said Donald Arseneault, New Brunswick’s minister of post-secondary education, training and labor. The principle of removing the three-day wait period for police officers and firefighters, while supported by the government also has a lot of opposition to it.”

The waiting period was put into place in the early 1990s during a time when the province’s workers’ comp board (now WorkSafeNB) was facing a “significant financial crunch,” according to Shelly Dauphinee, director of policy and planning for WorkSafeNB.

The wait period policy, applying to all claimants, requires injured workers receive no compensation benefits for the three days after an injury. However, there are two exceptions:

1. Employees who are off work for three weeks or more working days are reimbursed for the initial three days.
2. Workers who are hospitalized as in-patients obtain benefits immediately.

The New Brunswick Police Association, are lobbying the government to eliminate the wait period for police officers and firefighters. Dean Secord, the association’s president, says the union was told legislation would be introduced this fall to bring about the change.

According to Arseneault, there is no known timetable when the necessary legislation would be put forward.

According to Secord, the rationale for police officers deserving an exemption is they cannot legally refuse unsafe work under the provincial Police Act, thus hindering their ability to stay away from possible injuries in the first place. (workersxzcompxzkit)

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business, in its presentation to the board, labeled the wait period as a “fair and reasonable way to manage costs – especially since the system is 100% employer paid.”

Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers’ Compensation costs, including airlines, health care, manufacturing, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He can be contacted at: [email protected] or 860-786-8286.

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