Independent operators

An employee (worker) includes anyone employed by a business, including family, whose work where, when, and how the work is performed is controlled by their employer. This includes full-time, part-time, seasonal or temporary employees, certain domestic employees, unregistered individuals engaged in construction work, students, apprentices, learners and training participants. An employee must be insured by the business for whom they are doing work.

An independent operator agrees to perform specific work in return for payment. The business for whom they work does not necessarily control the way their work is done, or the time and place the work is performed. An independent operator is not automatically covered by the business for whom they are doing work.

You should complete a questionnaire before you start doing work for a business who has hired you. 

You will need to complete a questionnaire if you are not employing full or part-time help and you have been asked to show proof of WSIB coverage by the company or companies with which you currently have a contract.

If you are a company engaging contractors and need a worker/independent operator status determination, you should complete a questionnaire to determine if you have an obligation to report and pay for their WSIB coverage.

We may also need to confirm your status for coverage and benefit purposes.

If you are considered an employee (worker), the business you are doing work for is responsible for providing coverage for you through the WSIB. The business will report and pay premiums for you. This status ruling is effective as of the start date of the working relationship, and the business may need to make retroactive premium payments.

If you are considered an independent operator, the business you are doing work for isn’t responsible for paying premiums on your earnings. In this case you can apply for optional insurance, which provides coverage in case of a workplace injury or illness. Once you have optional insurance, you can get a clearance certificate, if your account is up to date.

If you enter a new business relationship with the same business in the future, you should notify us, as we may need to review the status ruling.

Yes. Once an independent operator receives a status determination, they can use it for all subsequent contracts for new principals, provided the independent operator uses the same vehicle identification number (VIN). The principal must match the independent operator vehicle ownership documents to the VIN on the status determination letter. If they match, the status determination letter is valid for the contract.

If the independent operator changes vehicles, they must complete a new questionnaire and the status determination will again apply to all subsequent contracts where the same VIN is used.

You must obtain a new independent operator status determination. Complete a new questionnaire and have it signed by a principal. You can use this new letter for all subsequent contracts, provided you use the same vehicle and vehicle identification number (VIN), if we determine that you are an independent operator.

Completing the questionnaire helps to protect both the individual and the company they are doing work for in case of injury or illness.

This confirms if a business who has hired you is responsible for reporting and paying for your WSIB coverage.

It will also help if a business is audited. Without confirming status, a business may be responsible for premiums for the labour portion of the contract paid to the person completing the work.

Completing the questionnaire helps to protect both the individual and the company for whom they are doing work in case of injury or illness.

This confirms if a business who has hired you is responsible for reporting and paying for your WSIB coverage.

It also helps if a business is audited. Without confirming status, a business may be responsible for premiums for the labour portion of the contract paid to the person completing the work.

If you are in the transportation industry (trucking, courier, third-party food delivery or rideshare), you do not need to submit a questionnaire for each business you work for, if you are using the same vehicle and Vehicle Insurance Number (VIN). If you change vehicles, you must obtain a new status decision, which you can then use for all subsequent contracts, provided you use the same VIN.

A worker/independent operator status decision confirms if you’re an employee (worker) or an independent operator. This confirms if a business who has hired you is responsible for reporting and paying for your WSIB coverage. Until a decision has been made, the business may hold back payment to you because it may be held liable for premiums for the labour portion of the contract. You can read our clearance FAQs  for more detail.

Getting a status decision before or at the start of the work, will avoid your payment being held back. 

The status decision is valid for the term of the contract, or as long as there is no change in the working relationship between the business and the person providing the work. If there is a change in the working relationship due to a new contract, you can contact the WSIB for a status decision.  

If it is determined you are an employee of the business, the decision is valid until your employment relationship changes.

If you are in the transportation industry (trucking, courier, third-party food delivery or rideshare), the status decision is valid as long as you are using the same vehicle and Vehicle Insurance Number (VIN). If you change vehicles, you must obtain a new status decision, which you can then use for all subsequent contracts, provided you use the same vehicle and VIN.

Just incorporating your company does not make you an independent operator.

Even though you’re an individual who is incorporated, we’ll still need to determine whether the working relationship is an employee (worker) or an independent operator. This confirms if a business who has hired you is responsible for reporting and paying for your WSIB coverage.

You’ll need to complete the applicable determining worker/independent operator status questionnaire so we can determine what your status is even though you’ve incorporated.

You may need to include the following supporting documents, depending on the industry you work in:

• copies of three to five recent invoices/contracts for different companies (to show that work is completed for more than one business)
• copy of your business registration or Certificate/Articles of Incorporation
• HST number, if applicable
• copies of recent purchase orders for materials that are supplied as part of the work performed (e.g. tools)
• advertising material (e.g. business cards, website), if available
• if you are in transportation, a copy of your vehicle ownership

This is not an exhaustive list. Please see the industry-specific questionnaire for more examples of supporting documentation.

You and the business for whom you’re doing work must sign the questionnaire.

You can list multiple businesses on one questionnaire.

We carefully review all materials submitted. We look at whether the information provided is more characteristic of the behaviour or situations of an employee (worker) or independent operator. For example, if an experienced employee of the business that you’re doing work for trains or supervises you this would be more characteristic of an employer-employee relationship. An independent operator would be more likely to use their own methods to complete the work.

We also look at factors such as the materials, tools, and equipment you use, and if there are any costs associated with doing the work, such as the cost of obtaining, maintaining, operating and repairing the materials, tools and equipment. We look at who pays for these costs and who decides where to purchase the material. We consider the person’s ability to earn a profit or suffer a loss in the work they’re doing.

You can review our Workers and Independent Operators policy for more information on factors considered when making a status decision.

We send a letter to each person who signed the questionnaire – the individual as well as the business(es) for whom they are completing work – once we reach a status decision. The letter outlines their WSIB responsibilities resulting from the decision.

You can apply for optional insurance for yourself, which provides coverage in case of a workplace injury or illness, if you are ruled to be an independent operator. You'll have the same benefits of any other employee at that point.