As WCB Nova Scotia prepares to deliver service for gradual onset psychological injury this September, we’re also helping workplaces prepare, by offering monthly webinars (see a recording of our latest webinar), an e-newsletter (sign up to receive it) and by adding more tools and resources at worksafeforlife.ca/healthyworkplaces.
Supporting psychologically safe workplaces and preventing injuries is also an area of focus for our partners at the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration (LSI). The department recently launched some great new resources through its NovaSAFE App on preventing workplace violence and harassment.
As we have already learned from other jurisdictions, we expect that many of the claims we receive for gradual onset psychological injury when it becomes compensable this September will likely be related to workplace bullying and harassment.
According to data collected by LSI, harassment in the workplace has increased in recent years. A survey conducted by the Federal Government in 2020 found that 47% of women and 31% of men reported harassment in Canadian workplaces. These incidents are an increase from 2018 when 19% of women and 13% of men said they had been harassed at work.
LSI is also partnering with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) to offer free online training courses focused on psychological health and safety and preventing violence in the workplace. Nova Scotians can take up to five courses each year for free, with registration available on the CCOHS Nova Scotia web page.
LSI’s new workplace violence and harassment materials can also be found as part of a broad range of helpful workplace psychological safety tools and resources now available on worksafeforlife.ca.
To learn more about how WCB Nova Scotia is getting ready to deliver service in new way for a new type of compensable injury in the meantime, please visit Gradual Onset Psychological Injury (wcb.ns.ca).
