Building on a 6.2 per cent reduction to the average premium rate in 2017, the WSIB has made a further 3.3 per cent reduction to the average premium rate for 2018. This brings the total cumulative reduction to the average premium rate since 2016 to 9.3 per cent.
The reduction will bring the average 2018 premium rate down to $2.35 for every $100 of insurable earnings from $2.43 in 2017.
The WSIB 2018 annual insurable earnings maximum is $90,300 compared to $88,500 in 2017. Changes to the Maximum Insurable Earnings Ceiling are directly linked to changes in average earnings in Ontario as measured by Statistics Canada, and provisions under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act.
The WSIB is funded solely by premium revenue. When setting premium rates for 2018, we incorporated costs for legislation related to chronic mental stress (CMS). We did so by considering the number of traumatic mental stress and PTSD claims across each industry class over the past 10 years.
Were we to distribute these costs at the rate group level, some groups would see substantial premium rate increases.
In order to ensure stability at the rate group level, we have:
- only required increases that relate to CMS legislation
- capped increases at 5 per cent
- allowed decreases up to 7.6 per cent
Read our Q&A on CMS and 2018 premium rates (pdf).
Detailed rate group info
2018 Premium rate manual
Every year, we publish a Premium Rates Manual. This manual lists the current year's premium rates and describes, with extensive supporting documentation, how we determine these rates for each rate group. Tables for each rate group show
- a six-year history and two-year projection of injury rates, insurable earnings and other related information
- premium rate components, including cost of new claims, overhead expenses, and unfunded liability
- a breakdown of overhead costs, including legislative and related health and safety obligations
The 2018 Premium Manual is broken down into three parts, each containing a number of sections. You can view a description of what is contained within each section.
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| 2018 Premium Rate Manual Part 1 (PDF) | Section 1- Introduction Section 2- Definition of 2018 Premium Rate Components Section 3- Summary of Allocation Rules Section 4- 2018 Premium Rates for Each Rate Group, by Class Section 5- 2018 Premium Rates For Each Classification Unit, by Class |
| 2018 Premium Rate Manual Part 2 (PDF) | Section 6- Supporting Documentation for Each Class Section 6A- Class A- Forest Products Section 6B- Class B- Mining and Related Industries Section 6C- Class C- Other Primary Industries Section 6D- Class D- Manufacturing Section 6E- Class E- Transportation and Storage Section 6F- Class F- Retail and Wholesale Trades Section 6G- Class G- Construction Section 6H- Class H- Government and Related Services Section 6I- Class I- Other Services |
| 2018 Premium Rate Manual Part 3 (PDF) | Section 7- Supporting Documentation for Schedule 1 Section 8- Classification Scheme Changes Section 9- Non-Credible Rate Groups Section 10- Glossary of Acronyms Section 11- Contact Information |
2018 Premium backgrounders
For each rate group, you can download a one page backgrounder with detailed information about your 2018 rate, compared to your 2017 rate. You can search for this information in the table.