On August 30 2024, the Government of Nova Scotia released their report on the review of workers’ compensation in Nova Scotia.
The findings of the system review reflect the feedback and lived experiences of Nova Scotia workers and employers, and we are grateful for the work of the review committee.
System Review Findings
The Review Committee’s report identifies new opportunities to serve Nova Scotians better, and, as the largest part of that system, WCB Nova Scotia has an important role to play.
We know we need to do better, and we are already on a path of change. Many of the findings from the Workers’ Compensation System Review Report are consistent with areas WCB Nova Scotia CEO Karen Adams has already identified that need improvement.
- It takes WCB too long to get back to people, and we don’t always provide the service workers and employers need and expect.
- Too many people stay on short-term benefits too long, and too many of them go on to receive long-term benefits. We need a renewed focus on solving this problem – through exceptional service, and through new engagements and partnerships.
WCB Nova Scotia Response
WCB Nova Scotia is already on a path of change.
This report validates that path, and it calls on us to do even better.
Our new strategic plan charts a path to a new WCB, founded in pillars of prevention, return to work, and exceptional service. Our work will be informed by these review findings.
- We are pleased to see the report note the incredible progress in preventing workplace injury since we became responsible for prevention in the early 2000s.
- We’re also pleased to see the report indicate most claims are handled well
- On the other hand, we acknowledge the need to improve our service, as set out in our Strategic Plan.
- We’re also encouraged by many of the other changes proposed.
Learn more about WCB Nova Scotia's response to the System Review.
Here are some of the changes we’ve already made:
- Acting faster to better support return to work, keeping more Nova Scotians in the workforce where our province so badly needs them. We are now saying “yes” to claims sooner, where there is no objection and the claim is straightforward. In Q1 2024, 63% of entitlement decisions were made in 7 days, compared to 39.9% in 2023.
- As part of our new strategic plan, we’ve set very clear service level agreements – to return calls more quickly, issue decisions and make first payments.
- These are the building blocks of service and to helping workers get better and back to work faster, where work is often part of recovery. We will report on progress and hold ourselves accountable.
Find out more about the WCB
Here in Nova Scotia, we all want the same thing: Nova Scotians working safely. And that’s what WCB Nova Scotia does. As Nova Scotia’s provider of workplace injury insurance, we protect the Nova Scotia workforce by preventing workplace injury, and, if it occurs, we provide security from the impact of injury to workers and their families. Learn more about the WCB.
Workers’ Compensation Coverage in Nova Scotia
Workers’ compensation insurance protects Nova Scotia workers if something happens to them on the job. The Workers’ Compensation Act and its regulations outline who is required to have WCB coverage in Nova Scotia. We provide coverage to approximately 353,000 workers and 20,700 employers. Find out more about the benefits of coverage.