Today’s release of Janet Patterson’s report “New Directions: Report of the Workers’ Compensation Board Review, 2019” is critically required to protect the historic compromise between workers and employers. This report brings a worker-centric approach to workers’ compensation in British Columbia. It also recommends that the Workers’ Compensation Act be amended to “explicitly acknowledge the duty to accommodate as that duty is defined in human rights jurisprudence.”
“I appreciate the government has released this thorough report containing over 100 recommendations from Ms. Patterson highlighting the voices of injured workers and their experiences of a broken system in the province,” said Stephen Hunt, USW District 3 Director.
In 2019, Janet Patterson was tasked to review the workers’ compensation system in British Columbia and to make recommendations to improve the system. The extensive 516-page report makes public feedback from more than 2,000 people and organizations.
Last summer, USW District 3 made a submission to Ms. Patterson to give an overarching perspective on problems encountered with the policies and practices currently in place, as well as to provide opinion on positive changes that we believe can be implemented.
“I want to thank Ms. Patterson for her thoughtful report and consideration of our recommendations, and I commend all of the injured workers and their loved ones who courageously shared their stories. I am confident their experiences have been captured in this report.”
“Previous governments have favoured a system that favours employers and I am pleased the BC NDP government is taking long-overdue steps to fix a broken system. The WCB leadership and governance must visibly reflect a worker-centric culture and focus on safer workplaces and better outcomes for injured workers and their families.”
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