| Year Funded: 2012 | Budget: | Funding Agency: Institute for Work & Health (IWH) |
|---|---|---|
| Title: | Experience Rating Systematic Review (IWH Project 3150) | |
| Category: | Compensation, Disability Management and Return to Work | |
| Subcategory: | Compensation, Disability Management and Return to Work | |
| Keywords: | workers’ compensation, experience rating, work disability, prevention | |
| Link to research website: | www.iwh.on.ca | |
Issue:
Experience rating is a common feature of workers’ compensation insurance programs across North America and in jurisdictions around the world. It is the principal way in which insurance providers attempt to create incentives for firms to invest in health and safety. Hence, understanding the type, magnitude, and consequences of behavioural effects created by experience rating is critically important to designing programs that promote desirable behaviours and minimize the likelihood of undesirable ones. Experience rating continues to be a controversial policy lever in the workers’ compensation and work disability policy arena. Development in several jurisdictions suggests that policymakers continue to struggle with designing effective financial incentives in their program. Diverse developments from around the world suggest that there is a lack of clarity on how best to incent employers to focus on health and safety, and particularly whether financial incentives such as experience rating are effective.
Objectives:
Experience rating is a common feature of workers’ compensation insurance programs across North America and in jurisdictions around the world. It is the principal way in which insurance providers attempt to create incentives for firms to invest in health and safety. Hence, understanding the type, magnitude, and consequences of behavioural effects created by experience rating is critically important to designing programs that promote desirable behaviours and minimize the likelihood of undesirable ones. Experience rating continues to be a controversial policy lever in the workers’ compensation and work disability policy arena. Development in several jurisdictions suggests that policymakers continue to struggle with designing effective financial incentives in their program. Diverse developments from around the world suggest that there is a lack of clarity on how best to incent employers to focus on health and safety, and particularly whether financial incentives such as experience rating are effective.
Anticipated Results:
This study is relevant to the WSIB, and other workers’ compensation authorities in Canada and internationally.
Investigators:
Emile Tompa, Kim Cullen (Institute for Work & Health), Chris McLeod (University of British Columbia)
