Occupational health and safety: average employer premium rate to drop

A builder works on the site of a home in a new subdivision in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata, on Friday, July 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Justin Tang

The average employer contribution rate for the occupational health and safety plan will drop next year, from $1.50 per $100 of payroll to $1.48, Quebec's workers' health and safety board has announced.

The Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) points out that this average rate of $1.48 "is the lowest since the introduction of the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases in 1985."

This decrease in employer contributions may seem surprising, given the increase in the number of occupational injuries in 2022. The CNESST recorded 161,962 occupational injuries in 2022, compared to 105,692 cases accepted in 2021 and 104,732 in 2020.

However, a union source pointed out that these occupational injury statistics include several COVID cases, which clouds the numbers.

The CNESST explained the drop in the average employer contribution rate by highlighting the plan's good financial health, sound management and "an effective funding rate for ratemaking purposes of 121.6 per cent."

"Despite the underperformance of the financial markets and the inflationary surge in 2022, the good results of previous years combined with the favorable evolution of the compensation plan's experience have made it possible to lower the rate for a fourth consecutive year," CNESST argued.

"The sound financial situation of the occupational health and safety plan allows it to ensure the sustainability of the plan and guarantee its future commitments to workers, but also to better protect employers against excessive fluctuations in the contribution rate in the event of unfavourable returns from the financial markets," the Commission adds.

SMALL, MEDIUM BUSINESSES RELIEVED

In any event, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), which represents small and medium-sized businesses, is pleased that the reduction in the employer premium rate will bring them some relief.

"It's been going up everywhere, everywhere, everywhere for more than a year for small businesses. They don't get any relief. And now, in 2024, well they're going to have another decrease in the employee contribution to the Occupational Health and Safety Fund. So this is good news," said François Vincent, CFIB's vice-president for Quebec.

This report was first published in French on May 19, 2023.