As of January 1, 2013, the Ontario government has amended the laws relating to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) coverage for the construction industry. Now business owners in the construction industry are also required to obtain mandatory WSIB coverage along with construction workers. This includes “independent operators, sole proprietors, partners in a partnership and executive officers in a corporation working in construction. Executive officers and partners whose businesses are already registered with the WSIB also must begin to report their own earnings and pay premiums starting in January 2013”. All business owners and workers involved in construction should educate themselves about the new laws as well as how they will be affected by them and pre-register for WSIB coverage by January 1, 2013.
A website has been developed to educate and provide necessary information to business owners about the new mandatory coverage: www.BeRegisteredBeReady.ca.
Failure to obtain the mandatory coverage will mean that WSIB will deny business owners in the construction industry work clearances and will not view accounts as being in good standing. This ultimately will result in a shut down of work for business owners.
For more details, visit the WSIB website.