HR glossary · Safety, conduct and hours

WSIB (Ontario)

Ontario's workers' compensation board. It insures most Ontario employers, sets premium rates and pays benefits to workers hurt or made ill at work.

Also called: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Ontario WCB, WSIB premiums

What WSIB (Ontario) means

The WSIB, or Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, is Ontario's workers' compensation board. It runs the no-fault insurance system that pays benefits to workers who are injured or become ill because of their work, and it collects premiums from employers to pay for it.

If you run a business in Ontario and hire workers, you need to know whether your industry must be covered by the WSIB, how your premium is calculated, and what to do when someone is hurt. Many people still call it 'WCB', but in Ontario the board is the WSIB.

The WSIB is separate from the Ministry of Labour. The Ministry enforces the Occupational Health and Safety Act (safety rules, inspections and orders); the WSIB handles insurance, premiums and claims.

How it works

Premiums are a rate per $100 of insurable earnings. Your rate depends on your business's classification and your own claims history. For 2026, the WSIB's average premium rate is $1.23 per $100 of insurable earnings, and the maximum insurable earnings are $121,700 per worker. Earnings above that amount for a worker do not attract premiums.

Your own rate moves with your claims. The WSIB sets each employer's rate from up to 6 years of claim costs compared with others in its class, weighted by the employer's size. Rates can move by up to 3 risk bands a year until they reach the employer's projected rate, so a claim this year can affect premiums for several years.

When a worker is hurt, you pay their regular wages for the day of injury. The WSIB has no waiting period, and if the claim is accepted, loss-of-earnings benefits are 85% of the worker's net average earnings. You must report the injury to the WSIB, cooperate with the claim, and work with the worker on an early and safe return to work.

Common mistakes: assuming a small business is automatically exempt, classifying workers as independent contractors to avoid premiums, reporting late, and not offering suitable modified work when the worker is ready.

Is it the same in every province?

The WSIB covers Ontario only. Each other province and territory has its own board with its own rates and rules, such as WorkSafeBC in British Columbia and CNESST in Quebec.

Example: Estimating a premium for a Hamilton bakery

Teresa runs a bakery in Hamilton with 6 employees and a total insurable payroll of $240,000 for the year. No one earns more than the $121,700 maximum, so all of it counts.

If her bakery's premium rate were $2.00 per $100 of insurable earnings, her annual premium would be $240,000 divided by 100, times $2.00, which is $4,800. Teresa checks her actual rate on her WSIB account, since each business's rate depends on its classification and claims history.

Free WCB calculators

Staffkin's free WCB premium calculator uses the WSIB's 2026 maximum insurable earnings, and the claim cost calculator models Ontario's benefit and day-of-injury rules.

Estimate your WCB premium

Free tools and guides for this

Questions about WSIB (Ontario)

What is the WSIB maximum insurable earnings for 2026?

$121,700 per worker. Earnings above that amount do not attract WSIB premiums.

Do I pay an injured worker for the day they got hurt?

Yes. In Ontario the employer pays the worker's regular wages for the day of injury.

How much does the WSIB pay an injured worker?

Loss-of-earnings benefits are 85% of the worker's net average earnings, for an accepted claim.

Is the WSIB the same as the Ministry of Labour?

No. The WSIB handles insurance and claims; the Ministry of Labour enforces workplace safety law.

Official sources

General information for Canadian employers, not legal advice. Rules differ by province and territory and change over time, so check with your provincial employment standards office (or the federal Labour Program if you are federally regulated) before you rely on it. See employment standards by province.

Checked against official sources on 4 November 2026.