In a previous article we communicated about certain times throughout the year when it becomes imperative to review any open CNESST files due to the major financial impact they could have on your company’s annual premium (read the full article here).
As mentioned, certain trimesters represent critical periods during which workplace accident files are subject to very high cost factors. During these trimesters, the CNESST can apply over 4 times the actual cost of the accident to the employer’s financial file.
The first trimester affected by this change in calculation is trimester 8, which begins the 1st of October of the year following the year during which the accident occurred. As soon as a revenue replacement indemnity (i.e. the compensation paid by the CNESST to a worker following a workplace accident or occupational disease in order to replace his wages) is paid during the month of October, or during future critical periods, higher cost factors are applied and, the impact on the annual premium will be higher as a consequence.
This means that any accident that occurred in 2017 for which a worker will still be on leave and who is still receiving compensation in October 2018 will generate a very high cost to the company. Hence the importance of proper file management!
One concrete cost-savings measure would be to verify whether it is possible to get injured employees back to work all while respecting their capabilities and any temporary functional limitations.
Even if an employee is not yet able to perform his regular tasks, having them return doing light work (with his/her doctor’s consent, of course) permits not only the employer to limit the financial impact of the accident but also has many advantages for the employee. It further promotes the worker’s rehabilitation while he progressively regains his/her full capability, but it also helps avoid the negative effects of prolonged inactivity and allows him/her to return to his/her full salary.
To maximize the benefit to your CNESST premiums, start taking the necessary steps now so that they will be fully effective before October 1st.
Need help with this or with any of your company’s health & safety practices? We can help! To obtain a free one-hour consultation, please get in contact with us here.
Our consulting services can help you take advantage of the numerous benefits of a proper management of health and safety.
