by Pat Rediger Pat Rediger

Protecting Canadian Businesses

EQUA provides customized insurance and risk management solutions

Although the start of a pandemic is probably not the best time to begin a new business, that didn’t stop David Richards and Andy Bates. They knew the risks when they began EQUA Specialty Risk Partners Corporation (EQUA), an insurance brokerage that specializes in managing construction risks that leads to improved coverage and competitive pricing for its clients.

Despite the economic pressures brought on by the pandemic, Richards and Bates were confident that they had the right approach that would allow them to start and grow the brokerage. They wanted to create a business that would focus on clients and provide customized insurance and risk management services.

The duo already had a track record of success. Richards was the former chief executive officer of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Canada Inc. (JLT Canada) and an executive vice president of Aon Canada, while Bates had been the chief operating officer of JLT Canada, and a senior vice president with Marsh Canada Ltd.

“We wanted to provide true customer service and get to know our clients as individuals and not just clients.”

– Greg van Ginkel, Managing Partner/Construction Leader

Richards and Bates wanted to attract the right team to make this vision a reality and Greg van Ginkel was one of the cornerstones in that approach. With nearly 40 years of experience in insurance and risk management, he was a natural fit for EQUA. He previously served as a managing director for a large multinational broker, where he became the national construction and design leader. Afterwards, he was a co-owner and CEO of a regional brokerage in Regina.

“We were founded under the premise of serving those businesses, which were the next level down to Fortune 500 businesses, but providing them with the service that a Fortune 500 business would receive,” said van Ginkel, EQUA’s managing partner of the Saskatchewan office and construction business lead. “We wanted to provide true customer service and get to know our clients as individuals and not just clients.”

“For the most part, advice is usually what our clients need the most.”

– Greg van Ginkel, Managing Partner/Construction Leader

He adds that EQUA provides expertise to a select number of industries, such as the construction sector, which enables the company to better understand its clients and the risks they face. They believe in being honest and upfront about potential risks associated with potential opportunities and what could happen if the client decides to move forward.

EQUA is led by a board of directors and nine managing partners, and has offices in Regina, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. All nine managing partners are insurance and risk management experts, which creates employee owners across the entire team and leads to an incredible level of dedication to their clients. The company is also supported by a robust administrative team that ensures its leaders and client executives are free to focus on building solutions and creating value while clients enjoy an incredibly high level of support and service.

Looking at construction in Saskatchewan

For Saskatchewan, van Ginkel says the company is focussed on the construction sector.

“We plan to continue to grow and to serve the construction community here,” he said. “Our team members have incredibly deep roots in Saskatchewan. We want to connect with the local business community to learn about your needs. We want to work together to build solutions that support Saskatchewan’s businesses and economy. We are here to help protect this industry and to do what we can to help it thrive.”

The Saskatchewan office provides insurance and risk management solutions for the local construction community, using highly specialized knowledge, its local presence, national support and a global network. It offers the full suite of risk management advice – including assessing and allocating risk – and insurance procurement.

The local office is connected to the talent elsewhere in the company. When clients present their specific issues, the brokerage accesses expertise from other departments to ensure they understand the possible risks that a client may face with a particular project and who is going to take responsibility for those risks through the process.

It’s this connectivity that served them well during the pandemic. EQUA was founded as a digital company with no legacy systems that needed to be maintained. This helped them better respond to the restrictions set in place when the pandemic hit. The brokerage is paperless and cloud-based, which made them naturally remote from the moment they opened their doors and that has benefited them through the entire pandemic.

Dave Richards,
Chief Operating
Officer
Andy Bates,
Chief Executive
Officer
Greg van Ginkel, Managing Partner, Construction Leader
Photos courtesy of EQUA

Their experience with digital systems has led them to be experts in the growing field of cyber insurance. They recognize the importance of having highly secure access to fields and information from anywhere in the world using secure systems.

van Ginkel says EQUA has grown, and will continue to grow, because of the value they provide to their client.
“The value could mean something different for each client,” he said. “For some it could be advice, for others it could be a price. But, for the most part, advice is usually what our clients need the most.”

Connections are also very important to the company and that’s a key reason why the company joined SHCA. Staff pride themselves on reaching out and making the calls so they can better connect with the people in the communities they serve.

“Our membership with SHCA provides us with access to important conversations and the opportunity to learn about the challenges that the industry is facing here,” said van Ginkel. “For us, that is fundamental. We pride ourselves on offering relevant solutions and creating unprecedented value, which is only possible when we work closely together with our community. SHCA is the right place for us to grow our network and listen to the voices that make up this industry.” 

by Martin Charlton Communications Martin Charlton Communications

Harassment in the Workplace

Protect your business: No organization is too small to not need a policy in place

It is a good feeling spending your workday being productive alongside people that make you feel welcome and valued. So, too, is going home knowing what you did and how you spoke throughout the workday was helpful, not harmful. Not every day or every workplace is like that, but there are tools to guide employers, supervisors and employees towards maintaining that type of work environment.

People don’t always agree, understand or appreciate one another. How some people behave and speak when there are disagreements, misconceptions or biases can be considered harassment.

Doing or saying something that insults, ridicules, threatens or sabotages someone you work with – or who works for you – can put you in a position of uncertainty and risk. That is true for employers, supervisors and employees.

Folk recommends workplaces search online for the many government resources available to guide them on developing a harassment policy. Having such a policy is required under the Saskatchewan Employment Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.

That risk can be handled through a harassment policy that links with a policy on employee discipline. Making those policies available to employees and providing training so everyone in your workplace recognizes how to appropriately navigate interpersonal situations can also help.

Erin Folk guides workplaces and leaders looking to prevent workplace harassment or needing to handle complaints. As an investigator and facilitator with Folk Consulting, she works with governments, private business, non-profit organizations, First Nations and other groups to provide advice and services related to harassment prevention and investigations.

She has also supported her husband’s earthmoving and landscaping business, Folk Construction. Her experience through the company has showed her first-hand examples of questionable workplace behaviour in the industry and the awareness employees have of their rights.

“In years past, if an employee was not being treated well on a job site, they might have just walked away, quit and got a job somewhere else,” said Folk. “That’s maybe not the case anymore. The employer has that legal duty to ensure the safety [of its employees].”

Harassment is inappropriate conduct, comments, displays, actions or gestures that the harasser knows or ought to reasonably know would cause an individual to be humiliated or intimidated. It is inappropriate to intimidate, humiliate or threaten another employee so their psychological or physical wellbeing is damaged, causing a threat to their health and safety. Additionally, if the behaviour and conduct relate to another person’s race, creed, religion, colour, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability, physical size or weight, age, nationality, ancestry or place of origin, it is considered a breach of Human Rights legislation, and is considered an illegal act, as well as workplace harassment.

“We all want to come home at the end of the day having put in a good day’s work and not had to put up with abusive behaviour and discriminatory behaviour,” said Folk. “Everyone wants to be respected for the work that they do.”

To take a first step towards preventing and dealing with harassment as an employer, Folk recommends workplaces search online for the many government resources available to guide them on developing a harassment policy. Having such a policy is required under the Saskatchewan Employment Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. Employers should seek assistance from subject matter experts if they feel uncertain about creating their own policy and procedure.

“Under occupational health and safety legislation, you see that the employer, the manager, the supervisor and the employee all have listed responsibilities when it comes to safety in the workplace,” said Folk, who explains that the more responsibility an employee has in an organization, the higher the threshold is for what is expected of them.

“Psychological safety is a component of the safety of the employee, equally as important as the physical safety of an employee,” she said.

A harassment policy must contain a definition of harassment, which Folk says can be taken directly by employers in this province from the Saskatchewan Employment Act. The policy should also include a statement by the employer that harassment is not acceptable or tolerated and expresses the employer’s commitment to do everything reasonable to prevent harassment and act when an employee feels they have been the subject of workplace harassment.

But Folk says a more robust policy can benefit an organization. Including a process that outlines how complaints can be brought forward and managed, appropriate procedural steps for mediation or investigation, and how the complainant and alleged harasser will be informed of the outcome of an investigation should also be described.

The more responsibility an employee has in an organization, the higher the threshold is for what is expected of them.

Erin Folk, an investigator and facilitator with Folk Consulting, guides workplaces and leaders looking to prevent workplace harassment or needing to handle complaints. Photo: Erin Folk

“The policy is there to protect the employees and to protect the employer. The policy is supposed to give clear guidelines that discourage inappropriate behaviours, so you want to have very clear definitions,” said Folk, who encourages employers to link their harassment policy to their discipline policy. “Not only are you protecting your employees by saying this is not tolerated or allowed, but you also have mechanisms under which, if this inappropriate behaviour happened and is found to have occurred, the employer has the ability to take action under the discipline policy however the employer sees fit, under the circumstances – whether that is a reprimand, guidance, education or dismissal.”

When a complaint is made, an investigation looks at whether the allegation occurred as it was alleged and, if it did, if it is contrary to the policy in place. That’s what makes sound definitions important, according to the legislation.

Photo: Dmitry Ageev/123RF

Employers who feel some people today are simply too sensitive and discredit complaints of employees as insignificant or frivolous assume a significant risk to their business.

“We can find harassment based on a vague definition, but where does it go from there? Now what does the policy say about how the employer can deal with that? If you have a very vague definition and limited policy, you might also have a limited ability to apply discipline,” said Folk.

The risk of a vague policy to the employer in a situation where an employee has harassed another is not being able to dismiss an employee with cause, if training and other progressive discipline steps have not rectified the behaviour. An employee who continues their harassing behaviour in the workplace can leave the employer vulnerable to a civil action, known as an employer’s vicarious liability for the conduct of their employees.

Having a policy can mitigate an employer’s responsibility. Not having a policy or allowing an employee to continue their behaviour unchecked can be an aggravating circumstance that could lead to a more significant financial remedy being awarded to the victim of workplace harassment by an adjudicator if the matter is elevated to a tribunal.

An employer who can point to a sufficient policy and training aimed at preventing harassment may have an adjudicator consider that as a mitigating factor and find the employer less liable for the conduct of their employee.

An organization’s policy does not have to be hundreds of pages long, but Folk recommends it being more than a single page in a safety manual and employee handbook. The policy needs to be informative and proscriptive. It should serve as a resource to staff, supervisors and managers, so those accountable for addressing harassment in a workplace understand their responsibilities and the processes. Proactively having this in place and making everyone in the organization aware of it can help minimize disruption to the organization when a situation arises because the expectations have already been made clear.

Employers who feel some people today are simply too sensitive and discredit complaints of employees as insignificant or frivolous assume a significant risk to their business. The financial and human costs of workplace harassment are high. Staff turnover, lost productivity, bad publicity and damage to reputation, as well as costs for paying for a mediator or investigator, have a considerable effect on an organization’s bottom line.

“You are putting yourself in the crosshairs of a lawsuit and/or a lot of bad publicity if someone comes forward with a complaint,” said Folk. “There is a lot of human and financial cost to allowing harassment to occur.”

Being at work means dealing with other people. How you behave towards and around one another can contribute to whether co-workers feel more or less included on the team and at your workplace.

A workplace with people who harm others – psychologically or physically – through their words or actions will eventually be held responsible, Folk says, because workers are increasingly aware of their rights and will act to protect those rights and their wellbeing. Demonstrating respect for those you work with is important to keep a workplace productive, effective and inviting. 

by SHCA SHCA

Municipalities of Saskatchewan Transitioning to SUMA

Following a vote of the membership, Municipalities of Saskatchewan will be transitioning back to the name Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA).

“As a member-focused association, our members will always have the final say on important decisions,” said Mayor Rodger Hayward, president of Municipalities of Saskatchewan. “We respect the decision that has been reached through an open and transparent membership vote.”

The membership vote was held electronically from June 1 to June 3. As per the association’s bylaws, each municipality was afforded a number of voting delegates based on population, to vote on their municipality’s behalf.

In total, 364 votes were cast. Ninety municipal representatives voted in favour of the organization changing its name to Municipalities of Saskatchewan, and 274 were opposed. Of the association’s 12 regions, two of the regions were in favour of proceeding with the name change. Given the importance of the vote, the Board of Directors set the threshold for success of the rebranding as a supermajority, with 60 per cent of participating voting delegates needing to vote in favour, as well as a simple majority in at least seven of the association’s 12 regions.

To ensure impartiality, voting was conducted electronically by Data On The Spot.

“No matter our name, our values and principles remain the same,” said Hayward. “We continue to represent the interests of Saskatchewan’s hometowns – the cities, towns, villages, resort villages and northern municipalities that more than 80 per cent of Saskatchewan’s population call home.”

The transition back to SUMA will begin taking place over the coming weeks.

Shantel Lipp
by Shantel Lipp Shantel Lipp

Inaugural Meeting of the Women in Construction TEC Group

Meeting with a group that is open to advice and generous with their insights is an empowering experience that helps to develop one another.

A group like that came together recently to create that experience for women in construction. We met as the Women in Construction – TEC Group for its inaugural meeting. This introductory meeting was held to gauge the interest in this type of a group holding ongoing meetings to support those involved.

Women from various sectors of construction who are living and working in many different communities in the province met on May 20 to learn about TEC and gain peer support and offer advice. Some of the women had been working in their field for decades while others were new to theirs. Their roles covered a wide array of functions, from ownership to human resources to fleet management.

It was an important opportunity to draw out the perspective of women discussing the challenges, issues and successes in the construction industry. The group discussed navigating work relationships, giving one another suggestions on how to ensure those in the relationship recognize it is strictly professional. Others were looking for input on human resources challenges, including onboarding new employees who primarily speak a language other than English. Through the discussions, we generated great ideas to help find solutions to common concerns.

It was an important opportunity to draw out the perspective of women discussing the challenges, issues and successes in the construction industry.

Coming together to discuss challenges and opportunities related to business and career development is important for anyone building their career. Sitting down on a scheduled basis to have these discussions with people who have similar life experience can be reassuring.

There is interest in another meeting being scheduled to allow for the conversation to continue and to welcome additional women interested in an opportunity like this. Given the busy season that is summer, the plan is to schedule the next meeting sometime in late August.

If you would like to participate, please send me an email to get more information, including the date once one is set. You can email me at slipp@saskheavy.ca 

by SHCA SHCA

Saskatchewan Opens Up Access to Rapid Antigen Tests

Rapid antigen tests may now be used by Saskatchewan businesses and individuals to help screen people who do not show COVID-19 symptoms.

The province has amended The Medical Laboratory Licensing Regulations, 1995 so that a formal agreement is no longer required between those who use rapid antigen tests and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

“Our government is committed to improving access to health care services for people across the province, and providing the necessary tools to address the pandemic,” Health Minister Paul Merriman said.  “This step means that businesses and individuals can easily procure and use these tests, helping asymptomatic people who have COVID-19 receive testing and treatment more quickly.  Ultimately, the best way to protect yourself and those around you is to get vaccinated.” 

Rapid antigen tests are not a diagnostic test, but are used to screen asymptomatic people for COVID-19.  Health officials strongly recommend that people who receive a positive test result immediately self-isolate and call 811 for further instructions, such as scheduling a confirmatory test through a SHA testing centre.

“The Saskatchewan Health Authority’s Test to Protect program is an important element of a multi-layered approach that we have added to our pandemic response along with vaccination,” SHA Testing Chief Carrie Dornstauder, said.  “The Test to Protect community rapid antigen testing program provides workplaces with early detection of COVID-19 ensuring a strong and healthy workplace and workforce through outbreak prevention.”

Large national businesses that operate in Saskatchewan and wish to use the tests can request them through the federal government’s online business portal at https://health.canada.ca/en/rapid-tests.

Small and medium-sized enterprises within Saskatchewan can apply for rapid tests from the SHA by submitting an Intake Form available at www.Saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 (search for Rapid Testing).  Tests will be provided for workplace screening as supplies allow, however Saskatchewan’s federal allocation of rapid antigen tests will be prioritized for health care professionals and priority settings such as long-term care facilities, personal care homes, schools, group homes and shelters.

The general public will be able to purchase the tests from retailers who wish to offer them.  Check first to ensure the tests are Health Canada approved by viewing the list at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/covid19-industry/medical-devices/authorized/list.html.

General information on rapid antigen testing is available at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/testing-information/rapid-testing.

Shantel Lipp
by Shantel Lipp Shantel Lipp

SHCA Events Resume

As Saskatchewan has gradually eased its way toward the end of the pandemic through the steady delivery of vaccinations, I have been eagerly waiting for the time to arrive when our members can gather once again.

That time is nearly here. As of July 11, all public health orders in the province have been removed and that lifts the limits on events and gathering sizes. 

We have been seeing concerts announced and Roughrider games scheduled. Families are meeting and celebrating after their long absences from one another. Friends are spending time together catching up and enjoying on another’s company. Seeing people come together reminds us of the value of connection to make each of us better than we are on our own. We are stronger together. 

That’s what makes the return of the SHCA golf tournament so exciting. This year’s tournament is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 19 at the Wascana Country Club in Regina. 

We hope to see many SHCA members, sponsors and supporting companies come together after having to be apart for so long.

Start the day together with lunch at noon before the shotgun start to the tournament at 1 p.m. Following your round of golf, it’s your chance to spend time reconnecting with your network during the banquet.

As a member-driven organization, I know how important it is for all of you in heavy construction to have opportunities to meet and share with one another. That networking is how I learn how to best represent, advocate and serve all of the members that make up our organization so that the issues that matter most get the attention they deserve. Making those connections over a round of golf and a meal makes the day just that much more memorable. 

Watch for an email from our office with the registration form, which will include the cost of participating in this year’s tournament. Fill out the form and submit it as well as your registration fee to Tracey or Ellie to participate. 

Also, watch the SHCA website for the events page to be updated with details about upcoming events, including our convention. We look forward to offering you more opportunities through the rest of 2021 to build your connections. 

by SHCA SHCA

The SHCA Hot Seat

Featuring Chris O’Grady, construction manager at Aecon Transportation West

1. Where are you from?

Fort McMurray, Alberta

2. How did you get your start in the heavy construction industry and/or who do you credit to getting you where you are today?

My first job in the heavy construction industry was with AEC Pipelines as a labourer at the pump houses. I would have to credit my dad on exposing me to construction and all the heavy equipment in the oilsands, such as draglines and 797 haul trucks.

3. What is your career history?

Following high school, I enrolled into the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), where I received my civil engineering technologist diploma. I then worked for Thurber Engineering in Calgary as a lab technician and then Fort McMurray as a project technologist. In 2005, I enrolled into the University of Saskatchewan College of Engineering. During the summer while attending university, I worked for Terracon in Fort McMurray constructing heavy haul roads and pipeline corridors in Syncrude’s north and aurora mines. Since graduating from university, I have worked for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways, Tetra Tech Canada Inc. and Aecon Transportation West Ltd.

4. What’s the best piece of business or career advice you have or have been given?

During my final stint as a summer student in the oilsands, the construction foreman wished me well in my final year of engineering and told me that once I graduate, don’t let the ring on my finger cut off the circulation to my head.

5. What’s your favourite thing about Saskatchewan and working in the industry?

Since moving to Saskatchewan 15 years ago, it’s always been the people. The down-to-earth nature and hospitality of the people in the province has always made me feel like this is where I want to call home. I’ve always enjoyed that our industry in the province is like a community, where for the most part everyone knows one another.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Fishing on a quiet lake.

7. Which talent would you most like to have?

The ability to play a musical instrument.

8. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Paving in the snow.

9. What is it that you most dislike?

Clutter and disorganization.

10. How would you like to die?

Preferably, many years from now!

by SHCA SHCA

Industry-lead Safety Training Benefits Saskatchewan Workplaces

Recent funding change by Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board puts those benefits at risk

Safe and healthy workplaces matter to industry. Saskatchewan is fortunate to have seven safety associations dedicated to preventing workplace injuries in this province by developing and delivering industry-focused training. 

A recent change implemented by the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) undermines industries’ opportunity to shape and ensure the training and support their dedicated safety associations develop and deliver. 

“We are encouraging our members and stakeholders to engage with the decision-makers to let them know how these changes will negatively impact our industry,” said Shantel Lipp, president of the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association (SHCA). “There is too much at risk to not speak out and defend the safety associations that deliver the training that keeps Saskatchewan workers safe.” 

At the beginning of 2021, a new funding agreement was introduced by the WCB. The new agreement makes safety associations accountable to WCB rather than the industries funding them. That is a radical change to the nature and purpose of safety associations in Saskatchewan as well as the role of the WCB. 

“The best people to train our industry on safety are those who come from the front lines because they know what is best for the worker,” said Lipp. “If the changes go forward, we risk losing this and the industry as a whole loses.”

Industry has not been provided any evidence that WCB appropriately analyzed the new funding agreement before it was implemented. However, there is data from the WCB showing that these safety associations have made a difference and that their work is reducing injury rates in their industries. 

Background

How industry-focused safety training is funded in Saskatchewan

All seven provincial safety associations in the province are funded by industry. They are:

  1. Energy Safety Canada, Saskatchewan Petroleum Industry Safety Association 
  2. Heavy Construction Safety Association of Saskatchewan 
  3. Motor Safety Association
  4. Safety Association of Saskatchewan Manufacturers 
  5. Saskatchewan Association for Safe Workplaces in Health 
  6. Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association 
  7. Service Hospitality 
  8. Safety associations focus on the needs of the industries that organized, sponsored and fund them. Funds for the safety associations are collected from employers by WCB. Those funds are then distributed to safety associations through grants from WCB, which acts as a fund administrator.

Industry funds these safety associations because those in industry are most qualified to identify current hazards in their workplaces that could lead to injuries. They are also able to distinguish what is best practice for employers in their industry to implement to prevent injuries.

Safety associations develop and deliver that practical and relevant training, advice and support by engaging industry members. This ensures that emerging issues that could cause injuries are quickly pinpointed and addressed to keep more workers and workplaces safe and healthy. 

Safety associations also engage one another to improve the training being developed and delivered in the province. They collaborate to develop standards for training and trainers as well as course material that elevates their effectiveness.  One example of this is associations’ work to develop fall protection training in Saskatchewan, which is needed in numerous industries.

According to the WCB, the total injury rates for industries with safety associations have decreased from 5.46 per cent in 2016 to 4.74 per cent in 2020. 

How industry holds safety associations accountable for funds intended for safety training

For the last 25 years, safety associations have operated successfully as independent cooperatives. These safety associations are not-for-profit organizations and are governed by boards made up of workers and employers.

Board members approve strategic plans and budget, as well as associated grant requests. They oversee operational activities, evaluate the effectiveness of the association’s programs and initiatives and are 100 per cent accountable to their association’s membership.

How WCB is separating industry from Saskatchewan’s safety associations

Under the new funding agreement: 

  • WCB requires safety associations, when requesting funding, to provide details about initiatives and staff positions that go far beyond what is provided to a board or CEO.
  • WCB assumes the power to approve and deny portions of a safety association’s funding request. This means WCB, rather than industry, will determine the safety associations’ individual strategies, initiatives, activities and more.
  • WCB is proposing it has the power to audit safety associations. These audits would be done at the expense of the safety association if WCB felt the association was not complying with the funding agreement. WCB has not yet established criteria for reasonable cause to audit.
  • WCB will monitor and evaluate safety associations’ reporting requirements, meaning WCB wants the power to manage the activities of the safety associations throughout the year.

This new funding agreement means WCB – rather than industry boards – would now:

  • Approve and manage the budgets of safety associations
  • Approve the strategic plans of safety associations
  • Approve and manage the operational plans of safety associations
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of all programs and the association

The risks of this new funding agreement to Saskatchewan workplaces

Administrative costs will increase – for safety associations and WCB – due to the new reporting requirements. 

Industry could no longer have a direct impact on the training and support developed and delivered through safety associations. 

Most important is workplace safety and injury prevention. The likelihood that the risk to workers will be reduced and workplace safety will improve under this new funding agreement is unknown. 

It is uncertain how quickly or adequately safety risks due to emerging issues can be addressed by safety associations in the future. This is because funding is uncertain. WCB assuming authority to approve or deny funding a safety association’s individual strategies, initiatives or activities means safety association staff can only work at the speed of WCB, which impacts their productivity and responsiveness. 

This raises the possibility that injury rates –which have gone down through the work of safety associations – could rise in Saskatchewan.  

What industry expects of WCB

The WCB needs to be reminded that its authority, as it relates to safety associations, comes from legislation (The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013).

Funding requests need to be approved in their entirety. WCB oversight should focus on ensuring industry funds are used for injury prevention and that boards of safety associations are representative of industry. 

The WCB Board of Directors needs to direct the administration of WCB through motion and/or policy to withdraw this funding agreement implemented in 2021 in its entirety. 

A cost/benefit analysis should be undertaken as well as a comprehensive impact analysis before any new funding agreement is implemented. A negotiator should be appointed to facilitate a new funding agreement. The agreement should balance the interests of all stakeholders and industry should be appropriately consulted.