The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has launched an awareness campaign aimed at the construction industry that encourages people working in construction to learn how the new rules affect them and to pre-register for WSIB coverage.
Effective January 1, 2013, mandatory WSIB coverage is required for nearly everyone working in the construction industry. The Ontario government has changed the law to include not just workers, but business owners too.
Construction employers are currently required to have WSIB coverage for their employees. Now, most independent operators, sole proprietors, partners in a partnership and executive officers in a corporation working in construction will also need to have WSIB coverage. 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.
The WSIB’s public awareness campaign carries the tag line “Be Registered. Be Ready.” and will run throughout the year and uses components such as radio spots, print ads, speaking engagements and activities with stakeholders and industry partners, trade show participation and direct mail. In addition to English and French, radio and print ads will also run in numerous other languages including Chinese, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese.
A dedicated website has also been developed to provide detailed information about the new mandatory coverage: www.BeRegisteredBeReady.ca