Workers' compensation benefits for employees of the Government
of Canada who suffer an occupational injury or illness are
provided in accordance with both the Government Employees
Compensation Act and the Flying Accidents Compensation
Regulations. This chapter outlines the provisions of the
Government Employees Compensation Act; the provisions of
the Flying Accidents Compensation Regulations are
explained in Chapter 4-1.
Government Employees Compensation Act and Regulations.
The Government Employees Compensation Act is
administered by Labour Canada. In 1918, when the Act was first
passed, arrangements were made whereby the provincial workers'
compensation boards would look after the treatment of injured
employees and would adjudicate and pay compensation claims on
behalf of the Government of Canada. These arrangements remain in
existence today. The regional offices of Labour Canada are
responsible for receiving and processing claims through to the
appropriate provincial authority. They provide a general advisory
service to employees and unions, as well as to employers, on the
interpretation and application of the legislation.
The Government Employees Compensation Act provides for
employment injury benefits (workers' compensation) to all federal
government employees, including employees posted outside Canada,
and employees locally engaged outside Canada who are injured in
the course of their duties and are not covered under any local
legislation. Industrial and occupational diseases are treated in
the same way as work-related injuries.
Such benefits include:
- compensation for loss of earnings (if an injured employees is
not entitled to injury-on-duty leave);
- medical, hospital, and related services;
- rehabilitation services;
- a pension, if an injury results in a permanent disability;
and
- pensions to dependants of employees who are fatally injured
in the course of their employment.
The Government Employees Compensation Act also provides
benefits to employees posted outside Canada, other than locally
engaged employees, disabled by reason of any disease that:
- results from the environmental conditions of a place outside
Canada to which an employees is assigned, and
- is a type that would not normally be contracted in
Canada.
As the claims are adjudicated and paid by the appropriate
provincial workers' compensation boards the benefits payable may
vary from province to province.
In the case of locally-engaged employees, levels of
compensation are determined by Labour Canada, subject to the
approval of the Treasury Board.
The cost of the benefits are borne entirely by the federal
government and no direct contributions are made by employees.
Employment-injury benefits (workers' compensation) are not
subject to income tax.
It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that employees
are aware of their rights to workers' compensation. Personnel
officers must ensure that all occupational injuries or illnesses
involving lost time or requiring medical attention are reported
to the designated regional office of Labour Canada within three
days of occurrence in order that claims may be checked for
accuracy and completeness, countersigned and forwarded to the
appropriate provincial workers' compensation authority. (For
further information regarding the proper completion of the
applicable provincial "Employer's Report of Accident" form in
relation to occupational codes, please refer to appendix A
following this chapter.)
Personnel officers are also responsible for the development
and communication to employees of appropriate directives and
instructions concerning the details of reporting occupational
injuries and illnesses to their employer. First aid records
should be maintained in cases where the injury does not require
the services of a medical doctor. First aid cases should be
reported to the regional offices of Labour Canada only where a
doctor's services are required at a later date.
To avoid duplicate payment, it is extremely important that
personnel officers indicate on the original injury report whether
the injured employee is entitled to injury-on-duty leave, which
is provided for in most collective agreements, and in the
Public Service Terms and Conditions of Employment
Regulations.
(See also Chapter 4-3 of this volume.)
As the services of the ten provincial workers' compensation
boards are used, injuries must be reported, using the accident
report for the province in which the injured person is usually
employed.
The report forms are available from the appropriate provincial
workers' compensation board.
There are two information booklets available from Labour
Canada. A handbook entitled "If You Have an Accident" should be
provided to all employees, and a booklet entitled "Employer's
Guide" should be in the hands of all persons responsible for the
reporting of injuries.
This chapter replaces chapter 5-1 of PMM volume 16.
Enquiries concerning reporting of injuries and claims
administration should be directed to the regional offices of
Labour Canada.
Enquiries other than the above should be directed to:
Benefits Group
General Personnel Policy Development and Compensation
Division
Personnel Policy Branch
Treasury Board Secretariat
A standard method for recording the occupations of injured
employees is required in connection with the Government
Employees Compensation Act (GECA), when provincial workers'
compensation claim reports are completed in respect of public
service employees.
In the administration of the GECA, the applicable provincial
"Employer's Report of Accident" form must normally be submitted
whenever a public service employee incurs an occupational injury
or occupational illness. The form, together with any supporting
documentation, must be completed and forwarded within three
working days to the designated regional office of Labour Canada.
As the claim is processed by the regional office, certain
information is recorded for accounting and statistical purposes,
and it is at this stage that work-injury data must be
obtained.
Departments and agencies are to ensure that the applicable
employee occupational code is entered on each "Employer's Report
of Accident" form to accurately identify the employee's
occupation. The employee classification code is the occupational
group/sub-group portion of the class code as contained in the
Government of Canada Personnel Pay Input Manual, Section 9-3.
Examples follow on page A-2.
Occupational Group
|
Occupational Sub-group
|
Employee Classification Code
|
Engineering & Land Survey
|
Engineering
|
EN ENG
|
Purchasing & Supply
|
-
|
PG
|
General Labour & Trades
|
Woodworking
|
GL WOW
|
Ship Repair
|
Woodworking
|
SR WOW
|
Questions or other enquiries related to use of the codes
should be directed to the applicable regional office of Labour
Canada.
|