Each year, we are required under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA) to have an external firm review the cost, efficiency, and effectiveness of one or more WSIB programs through a value-for-money audit (VFMA). The latest audit focused on our Second Injury and Enhancement Fund.
Findings
The found that the program no longer supports it’s intended purpose of removing employment barriers for people with pre-existing disabilities or supporting the return-to-work and recovery outcomes injured people need.
The audit also found the program no longer provides meaningful or equitable cost relief to businesses as it has not kept pace with changes to how claims and premiums are managed as it has not been meaningfully updated since its introduction in 1945.
For these reasons, we are phasing out the Second Injury and Enhancement Fund and have amended the Second Injury and Enhancement Fund (SIEF) policy as of June 16, however, we will continue to accept new requests submitted before July 16, 2026.
All businesses currently receiving Second Injury and Enhancement Fund will continue to receive relief for the duration of their existing applicable claims. We will review all Second Injury and Enhancement Fund requests received before July 16, 2026 and follow our streamlined process to make relief eligibility decisions.
What this means for people
People with a current or past claim will continue to be supported through WSIB's standard claims process, with the same access to health care, benefits, and return-to-work planning they have today.
Ending the Second Injury and Enhancement Fund will enable us to provide more value for the premiums businesses pay by focusing on activities that deliver the best return-to-work and recovery outcomes for people who need us.
This includes working with businesses to identify suitable and sustainable modified work for people as part of the return-to-work process, as well as finding the right resources to help them make lasting changes to make their workplace safer, such as joining our Health and Safety Excellence program. Through the program, businesses can build health and safety habits that can help reduce risks and strengthen their business, while earning rebates on their premiums.
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