Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
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www.labour.gc.ca

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Workers' Compensation

Accidents Can Happen

Despite everyone’s best efforts, accidents can happen in any workplace. Workers’ compensation programs provide assistance to workers in dealing with the hardships associated with work-related injuries and occupational illnesses. They provide financial and rehabilitation benefits and also facilitate return to work efforts.

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s Labour Program is responsible for claims that involve federal government employees—both in Canada and abroad—who are injured on the job, become sick from an occupational illness or are killed while on duty.

Coverage

The Government Employees’ Compensation Act covers all federal government employees, as well as most Crown corporation and agency staff. If you are injured while on the job or become ill because of your work as a federal government employee, you may be entitled to compensation for lost earnings, medical care and rehabilitation costs and other benefits as required. If your accident or illness leads to death, your dependants may also be entitled to compensation and benefits.

Locally engaged workers outside Canada, such as staff working in Canadian embassies overseas, are eligible for benefits like all other federal employees. Their employers are responsible for making sure that they receive compensation.

Survivors of workers who are killed on duty are eligible for a monthly pension.

Certain merchant seamen, injured or disabled because of their work, are entitled to benefits under the Merchant Seamen Compensation Act.

Federal penitentiary inmates injured while taking part in work or a training program approved by Correctional Service of Canada may also be eligible.

How It Works

The Labour Program relies on provincial compensation boards and commissions to process federal employee claims and provide medical and rehabilitation services and loss of earnings. The Labour Program then reimburses the provinces for these costs. Federal government employees therefore receive the same level of compensation and benefits as other workers in the province where they work.

If you live in Nunavut, the Yukon or the Northwest Territories, the province of Alberta will handle your claim. If you are a Canadian working for the federal government abroad, the province of Ontario will likely process your claim.

Know Your Rights

As a worker covered by the Government Employees’ Compensation Act, you have the right to:

  • Compensation for employment-related injury and occupational illness in accordance with the rates and conditions provided under the law of the province where you work;
  • Assistance to help you get back to work and overcome handicaps related to your injury or illness;
  • An appeal of decisions made on your claim in accordance with the rules of the adjudicating provincial board.

Compensation is a shared responsibility:
the worker has the responsibility to prevent hazards while the employer has the responsibility to minimize risk.

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Date Modified:
2011-09-19