INJURY SOLUTIONS
PAVING - CRUSHING - BASE - GRADING - SITE WORK
bUSINESS: 306.782.7423
fAX: 306.786.6909
EMAIL: INFO@POTZUS.COM
Your source for
Geotechnical products
in Saskatchewan
BOX 909 – HIGHWAY #16W
YORKTON, SK S3N 2X1
• Geotextiles & Geosythetics
• Geosynthetic Clay Liners
• Geomembranes
• Erosion & Sediment Control
• Concrete Chemicals & Accessories
Learn more at ca.brockwhite.com/flexamat
Saskatoon 306-931-9255 Regina 306-721-9333 BrockWhite.ca
The safety of employees and
customers has never been
more important! There are
so many duties an injured
worker could perform.
customers has never been more important! There are so many duties an
injured worker could perform. Some examples could be ensuring all employees
and customers are using hand sanitizer upon entry and exit, wiping
down any surfaces that may be touched, extra cleaning and disinfecting
of surfaces, washrooms, floors and any object a customer/employee may
come in contact with, checking that there are enough supplies such as
gloves, masks, installation of Plexiglass screens (if necessary), wiping down
registers and/or debit machines, etc.
The most common question Injury Solutions Canada hears from business
owners asks why they should have to bring back an injured employee
at all. Most importantly, employers need to comply with Duty to
Accommodate legislation, which prescribes that an employer must accommodate
a worker unless they can prove that accommodation causes undue
hardship. Undue hardship means that is bringing someone back to work
would be so costly to your business that it would potentially cause bankruptcy
or another hardship. Undue hardship is very difficult to prove!
Bringing an injured worker back to work is also good for business; it can
boost morale for employees, it can show workers they are still valued, and
workers get to maintain their pay and benefits. The Saskatchewan Workers’
Compensation Board is a provider for wage loss, which means if you as an
employee pay into benefits, pension etc., this will not be maintained unless
you stay at work.
Staying at work is also good for the employee’s mental health. Many
studies have demonstrated that the longer an employee is out of the workplace,
the less likely they are to return to work.
The last – and maybe the most important – reason to bring a worker back
to work is financial. Every dollar put through the Workers’ Compensation
Board is used in calculations for how much premiums will cost an employer
for their WCB coverage. If the costs are high, an employer may have to
pay a surcharge. Surcharges can be as high as 200 per cent in Saskatchewan
for large employers and 75 per cent for small employers.
COVID-19 has definitely created challenges for all of us. However, we
could be living with this “new normal” for some time and we have to find
ways to do business, including how to accommodate those workers who
may be injured on the job.
COVID-19, while presenting many challenges, has also opened up new
opportunities for employers to bring injured workers back to work. The
possibilities for return to work options in a COVID-19 world are endless.
I hope employers embrace this opportunity and see it as an extra step to
keep everyone safe and healthy!
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