Premiums and payment FAQs

Your statements are available exclusively through our online services.

Read our online services FAQs for more information on how to access your online statements. 

Your rates are calculated by considering three components:

1. Insurable earnings
2. Number of claims
3. Claims costs

A rolling six-year period is used to calculate your premium rate. Specifically the six years prior to the rate-setting year.

For example, in in 2024, we used the years 2018-2023 to determine your 2025 premium rate. We review and take your insurable earnings, claims count and claims costs into consideration during that time.

Each class will have a set of risk bands and each risk band represents a rate in relation to the class rate. A rate is assigned to each risk band, either above or below the class rate. The difference between each risk band rate is approximately five per cent. Depending on your claims experience, your business will be assigned to a risk band that best represents your risk in relation to your class. Your assigned risk band rate includes rate adjustments based on your individual experience.

Your predictability is a measure of how much your past claims experience and insurable earnings can be used to predict future outcomes.

A low predictability means a business’ insurable earnings and the number of past claims is quite low. In this case, your claims experience would not have a significant impact on your rate. Instead, your premium rate will be more influenced by the rates of your class to protect against volatility and the dramatic effect one claim could have on your rate.

Businesses with a higher number of allowed claims, claims costs and larger insurable earnings, have a higher predictability. In this case, volatility is not as high, as each single claim likely will not have a significant impact on your rate.

The class rate represents the premium rate for a given class based on the collective risk profile for all the businesses within the class and your class’s shared responsibility to maintain the insurance fund.

We assign the class rate to new businesses. Your business is considered a new business if you have less than 11 months of experience available in the review period. Once a business has 11 months or more of experience in the review period, their following year’s premium rate will be set based on their past insurable earnings and claims experience.

Businesses with experience similar to the class are also assigned the class rate.

The better your company’s health and safety record, the less it costs the insurance system. For this reason, the WSIB supports financial incentive programs that reward businesses for good health and safety practices. Learn about our Health and Safety Excellence program.

You can also work with your peers to encourage industry-wide best practices for workplace health and safety, to lower the collective costs to the system by your class.

If you suspect that a business in your class is getting an unfair financial advantage by not registering with the WSIB, not reporting injuries or illnesses or not paying premiums, you can report fraud and abuse of the system.
 

Your projected premium rate provides the future direction, up or down, that your premium rate is headed if there is no change in your individual and class experience from year-to-year.

Starting January 1, 2025, we’ll introduce a new classification for the supply of administrative, clerical and knowledge-based labour.

Our new classification will be added to Class L, Professional, scientific, and technical, which has a similar risk profile to the business activities of supplying administrative, clerical and knowledge-based labour.

TEAs will report all their supplied administrative, clerical and knowledge-based labour under the new classification. They’ll continue to report all other types of labour they supply based on the classification of their client and report their internal office staff who aren’t supplied to clients under Class M, Temporary help services.

TEAs can complete the classification update request form by December 31, 2024, if they supply administrative, clerical and knowledge-based labour and need to add the new classification to their account effective January 1, 2025.

You can also learn more about our TEA rate setting consultation results.
 

Starting in 2025 through 2027, each year, non-profit organizations can move a maximum of three risk bands down from their prior year risk band (approximately 15 per cent)*, or a maximum of one risk band up from their prior year risk band (approximately five per cent).*

In 2028 and 2029, non-profit organizations can move a maximum of three risk bands down from their prior year risk band (approximately 15 per cent)*, or a maximum of two risk bands up from their prior year risk band (approximately 10 per cent).*

Starting in 2030, our policies for premium rate setting under our rate-setting model introduced in 2020 will be fully in effect for non-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations with projected premium rate increases or decreases will see their rates move up or down a maximum of three risk bands from their prior year risk band (approximately 15 per cent),* until they reach their projected premium rate.

*In rare circumstances risk band movement may result in a rate change lower or greater than the approximate percentage indicated. Please see the FAQs on risk bands and approximate yearly percentage increases.

For 2025, the prior year risk band is the risk band which contains the 2024 actual premium rate (referred to as “Your Rate” in the premium rate letter). Mine rescue charges, if applicable, are subtracted from the 2024 actual premium rate before determining the prior year risk band. Every prior year risk band has an assigned rate, called the prior year risk band rate, which is calculated annually to reflect changes in the class rate. The 2025 prior year risk band rate may be different from the 2024 actual premium rate.

Risk band movement may result in a rate change greater than 15 per cent depending on where a business’s rate falls in the prior year rate range. For example, your 2024 actual premium rate may have placed you in the lowest end of your risk band and changes in class/individual risk and/or experience have resulted in moving up to the next risk band resulting in a rate increase of more than 15 per cent in 2025. Alternatively, your prior year rate may have been so low that a one per cent increase represents an increase greater than 15 per cent.

Transition funding is a provision we created to cover the costs associated with transitioning businesses smoothly to our rate-setting model implemented in 2020. Transition funding doesn’t apply after 2023, and it will appear as zero on your extended rate statement in the years following.

You can request an extended statement that will provide you with details on how your individual premium rate was calculated, the adjustments made based on your claims experience and a breakdown of your claims costs.

To request an extended statement:

• Email employeraccounts@wsib.on.ca
• Call 1-800-387-0750
• Contact your Experience Rating Advisor if you were part of NEER or CAD-7

When determining your premium rate, we will assess three components: insurable earnings, number of claims, and claim costs. All allowed claims, both lost time and no-lost time injuries, will be used to calculate premium rates. Lost time claims typically have higher claims costs and may increase premium rates accordingly.

Your premium rate cannot be appealed, however, you can appeal any of the following components by providing supporting documentation that shows:

• Your insurable earnings are inaccurate 
• A claim(s) that occurred  should not have been applied to your account
• Your claims costs are incorrect 

Report your premiums means telling us your payroll information. You are responsible for telling us the total of all insurable gross earnings. For details, see how to report and pay your premiums. 

• Use our online service for premium reporting
  • Enter your insurable earnings and your premiums will be automatically calculated and submitted for you. You will also have the option to view your premium transactions online anytime. See how to calculate your premium and insurable earnings for more information on determining your insurable earnings. Your premium reporting will be processed immediately through our online services.
• You can also report, pay and reconcile your premiums in one simple transaction through your online banking. See how to report and pay your premiums for more information
• You can report your insurable earnings and make WSIB account payments at the same time you complete your business taxes through your CRA My Business Account

You need to file a reconciliation form by if you:

• pay your premiums monthly
• close an account
• are asked to verify information by the WSIB

Completing reconciliation ensures that you have reported and paid all your premiums. It also confirms the accuracy of the payroll information you used to calculate the premiums.

For instructions, see completing the reconciliation form.

Yes, you can report and pay using our online services.

You can sign up for our online services using:

• Your WSIB firm or account number
• In most cases, you’ll need the amount of the most recent payment you made to the WSIB

If you’re the first person from your organization to sign up, or haven’t made a premium payment to the WSIB before, you will also need your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number, as well as details of at least one of the rate groups under which your business is classified.

Once you have signed up for our online service for premium reporting, select the account that you would like to report your premiums and follow these steps:

Step 1: Select a reporting period

This page will list any reporting periods that have not been submitted. Each reporting period is a link.

Click the reporting period you would like to report.

• If you have more than one account, select ‘switch account’ to view another account
• If you have more than one North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, they will all be displayed on one page in table format

Step 2: Enter insurable earnings

Enter the insurable earnings amount for that period in the Insurable Earnings field

Click Calculate premium. 

• Your NAICS code (NC) premium is calculated for you in column C: NC Premium (Column A x Column B / 100).

Step 3: Review and submit 

Review the amount(s) entered

To correct the amount(s) entered, you may: 

• Re-enter the incorrect amount(s) in column A insurable earnings field(s), or
• Click clear all to delete the amount(s) in column A Insurable Earnings field(s)
  • Re-enter the correct amount(s)
  • Click Calculate premium

If you are ready to submit this amount, click submit. A dialog box appears prompting you to confirm whether you would like to proceed: 

• Yes, please submit my premium to WSIB
• No, I want to review my premium before submitting

Please note:

• If a NC has no earnings for the selected reporting period, enter 0.00 in column A insurable earnings
• There is a minimum annual premium of $100.00 for each account that is open during any part of the year
• If you navigate to another screen or web site before clicking submit, any data you entered will be deleted. Similarly, if the session expires before clicking the Submit button, any data you may have entered will not be saved

Tip: Depending on your computer settings, the pop-up box may not be visible. Try scrolling up - you should be able to see the pop-up box.

Step 4: Confirmation

You will see your submission details including the date and time and who submitted it.

To pay your premium through your financial institution, select your bank from the drop down list near the bottom of the page and click Go to launch their website.

Tip: To add the WSIB as a payee, with your financial institution, select  Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario - Schedule 1 or WSIB Ontario Schedule 1.

To report for another period, select Report premium from the Tools menu, and repeat the same steps.
 

To view your online submission history:

• Select online submission history in the tool section of the menu

Only the premiums that were submitted through this site appear in the history.

• To view details of a specific submission, click View

You can print a record of this page or save a record of this page to an Excel spreadsheet by clicking Save as spreadsheet

If the payment for this submission is outstanding, you can pay online through your financial institution. Select your bank from the drop down list near the bottom of the page and click Go to launch their website. 

Businesses pay either:

• monthly
• quarterly
• annually

See reporting and payment frequency for details.

You can pay your premiums in several different ways. Please note most banks no longer accept WSIB payments in person. The WSIB doesn’t determine which payment methods are offered by the banks.

• WSIB online services: You can pay through our online service for premium payment via our partner, Paymentus, using the following:
  • Visa or Mastercard credit
  • Visa or Mastercard debit

Your premium payment will be processed immediately through our online services.

• Online banking for businesses: Report, pay and reconcile your premiums in one simple transaction through your online banking for businesses. Review how to report and pay your premiums for more information
• CRA: Report your insurable earnings and make WSIB account payments at the same time you complete your business taxes through your CRA My Business Account
  • only pre-authorized debit payment is available through the CRA’s My Business Account
• Online banking – personal account: You can make a payment only through your personal online banking account
  • your bank’s website provides details on setting up a bill payee on your bank account. Most bank websites list us as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario - Schedule 1 or WSIB Ontario Sched 1
  • when setting the WSIB as a bill payee, you’ll be required to choose either Schedule 1 (report and pay premiums) or Schedule 2 (pay claim costs) as an option. Most businesses are Schedule 1. Learn more about Schedule 2
• Telephone banking: Available through your financial institution
• Payment by mail: Write a cheque payable to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and include your WSIB seven-digit account number and mail to WSIB, PO Box 4115, Station A, Toronto ON M5W 2V3

You still need to report your premiums no matter how you choose to pay. You can report through our online services, your online banking for businesses, or CRA My Business Account.

Our online services for payment through Paymentus give you access to all your account details, the ability to pay for more than one premium at a time, confirm your payment amount and review your payment history. You can also set up a payment profile, so that when you log into online services your payment information is automatically loaded.

For each payment, you will receive an email and confirmation number for your records. Your payment is applied to your WSIB account within 24 to 48 hours (this period begins on the next business day when a payment is made on a weekend or holiday).

Our online services for payment through Paymentus and for clearances are integrated. Any payments made to your account are reflected in real time. This will allow you to bring your account back into good standing if an outstanding payment is preventing you from receiving a clearance certificate.

You can choose to pay directly through our online payment provider, Paymentus, without logging onto our online services. You will need your account information, including:

• account number
• firm number
• payment amount
• Mastercard or Visa information or Mastercard or Visa Debit 

You can also pay directly by phone. You can call Paymentus anytime toll-free at 1-855-288-7459. It is an automated system, so you’ll have to enter your information using the telephone key pad. An operator is not available on the phone to assist you.

1. Make your cheque payable to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
2. Record your seven-digit account number on the front of your cheque in the memo section
3. Mail your cheque to WSIB, PO Box 4115, Station A, Toronto ON M5W 2V3 

Please remember: if you pay by mail, you still need to report using our online service for premium reporting before the due date.

We have many payment options including an integrated online payment option within our online services. However, if you wish to continue making payments via cheque, you can either print your statement and include it with your cheque in an envelope, or clearly write out your account number and business legal name directly on the cheque.

You can also make one-time payment directly to our secure payment provider, Paymentus (not using our online service for premium payment ). You will need to supply all of your payment information: account number, firm number and payment type.

No, at this time, we only accept payment by Visa and Mastercard.

For each payment made, you will receive a confirmation number. If you pay online, you will also receive an email confirmation. Your payment is applied to your WSIB account within 24-48 hours depending on when your payment was made. You can see the change to your WSIB account if you log into your online services account.

Yes, there is a 2.25 per cent service charge for using Visa or Mastercard credit, and a 1.75 per cent service charge for using Visa Debit, and Debit Mastercard payments. We do not receive any part of this service fee; it goes directly to our online payment provider, Paymentus.

Your Mastercard or Visa statement will show the amount paid to the WSIB and your service fee will be listed separately as a payment to our payment provider Paymentus Corporation.

No. Only pre-authorized debit payment is available through CRA’s My Business Account. You can pay your premium using a credit card through your online banking or our online services. 

Contact the CRA at 1-800-959-5525 if you have any issues accessing your CRA My Business Account or email us at employeraccounts@wsib.on.ca for any questions about your account.  

No, most financial institutions have stopped offering this service to customers and our online payment provider, Paymentus, will no longer offer this payment option to customers.

The WSIB may make a debit or credit adjustment to your account if a correction is made to:

• your classification
• amount of insurable earnings calculated and reported
• reported or paid premiums
• optional insurance
• ‘worker status’ for executive officers, independent operators or sub-contractors
• interest charges
• non-compliance penalties

For details on how we handle these premium adjustments, read the full policy on Employer Premium Adjustments.

Questions about your account? Send us a message online, anywhere, anytime.

If the only item on your account preventing you from getting a clearance is an outstanding balance and you pay your balance using our online services for payment through Paymentus, you can get a clearance certificate immediately.

Our online service for premium payment through Paymentus is integrated with our online service for clearances, so any payments made are reflected in real time in our online service for clearances. This allows you to come into compliance and get a clearance right away.

Please note that your payment will not be reflected on your WSIB account for 24-48 hours depending on when your payment was made. If you made a payment on a weekend or holiday, the 24-48 hour period begins on the next business day.

All workers’ compensation boards in Canada have signed an agreement called the Interjurisdictional Agreement on Workers’ Compensation (IJA). Under the IJA, businesses can avoid paying premiums twice to cover the same employee who performs work in more than one province or territory in Canada.

All compensation boards participate in the IJA and accept premiums from out-of-province businesses for work done in that jurisdiction (province or territory). The premium rate is set by the province where the work is conducted and is based on the firm’s business classification. Under the IJA, businesses pro-rate their insurable earnings so that each Canadian Board receives premiums for the work performed in that Board’s jurisdiction. See our policy on the IJA for more information. 

There is an exception to this practice that applies to interjurisdictional trucking and transport businesses who participate in the Alternative Assessment Procedure.

The Alternative Assessment Procedure (AAP) agreement exists for interjurisdictional trucking and transport companies whose employees travel into more than one Canadian province or territory. You can participate in the AAP by filling out an

When approved, the business can pay premiums to the compensation board where the employee actually lives, rather than pro-rating each employee’s insurable earnings based on where they work. See our policy on AAP for more information.