As directed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, a Statutory Review Committee (the Committee) has been established to conduct a review of Newfoundland and Labrador’s workers’ compensation system. The Committee comprises Judy Morrow, Q.C. (Chairperson and Member-At-Large), Bernadette Coffey Sobol (Vice-Chairperson and Workers’ Representative), and Leonard Knox (Employers’ Representative).
The 2019 Statutory Review - Workers' Compensation System provides a valuable opportunity to focus stakeholder and public attention on workers’ compensation matters with the objective of improving the overall system for both workers and employers.
A Discussion Paper (click here to view) has been prepared to help focus the consultation process. It outlines three key areas which the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador asked the Committee to focus on – efficiencies in the review processes, balance in the provision of benefits, and financial sustainability.
You are respectfully asked to consider these three key areas and where applicable provide commentary on the eight accompanying questions outlined in the Discussion Paper.
The Committee will welcome commentary on matters not covered by these areas.
Get Involved
You can have your say in the review of Newfoundland and Labrador's workers’ compensation system.
Several options are provided to workers, employers, key stakeholder organizations, and the general public to participate in the engagement process, including in-person, teleconference, and videoconference sessions, as well as online and mail-in submissions.
Please review the Discussion Paper and use it to inform your participation where applicable. Click here to view the Discussion Paper. If you require an alternate format please contact Sharmane Allen by email at [email protected] or by phone at (709) 729-6381.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
Option 1 - Present at a Private In-Person Session in St. John’s:
The Committee will be holding private in-person sessions in St. John’s (no RSVPs from outside St. John’s were received prior to the suspension of consultation activities due to COVID-19). If you wish to present at one of the sessions please RSVP by September 30, 2020, via email at [email protected] or call Sharmane Allen at 709-729-6381. Once all the RSVPs have been received, you will be contacted with a time to present to the Committee. All presenters may be accompanied by one other person. Please note that all RSVPs previously received (prior to the suspension of consultation activities due to COVID-19) will be contacted to schedule a private in-person session should they still wish to present to the Committee (or chose Option 2 or 3).
Option 2 –Present Via Video or Teleconference:
The Committee will be holding video and teleconferences to accommodate those who do not want to meet in-person and/or cannot travel to St. John’s for a private in-person session. If you want to present by video or teleconference please RSVP by September 30, 2020, via email at [email protected] or call Sharmane Allen at 709-729-6381. Once all the RSVPs have been received, you will be contacted with a time to present to the Committee.
The following guidelines are applicable to Options 1 and 2:
All sessions will be scheduled during the period September 28 to October 15, 2020 (exact dates to be determined depending on RSVPs received). To accommodate presenters, day and evening slots will be available. All presenters will be given a maximum of 30 minutes to present and fifteen minutes for question and answers. No recording devices will be allowed to operate at any time during the sessions.
The Committee requests that all presenters submit an electronic copy of their presentation at least two days prior to their session (send to [email protected]) for printing and distribution to the Committee and note-taker.
Upon completion of all presentations, a list of the presenters, date of the presentation, and the electronic presentation document and related documents submitted to the Committee, will be posted on www.engageNL.ca (with the prior written consent of the presenter). While the names of organizations will be publicly identified, the names of private citizens may be withheld for privacy reasons. A news release will be issued to notify the public when the list of presentations is posted.
If you do not want your presentation posted on the engageNL website, you must clearly indicate this intention to the Committee.
However, please be advised that all submissions to the Committee are subject to and may be released in accordance with the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015.
Option 3 - Online and Mail-in Submission:
If you prefer to participate with a written contribution, you can send your document in PDF, DOC or DOCX form to [email protected] or mail a printed or handwritten copy to:
2019 Statutory Review Committee – Workers’ Compensation System
c/o Sharmane Allen, Department of Immigration , Skills and Labour
P.O. Box 8700, 4th Floor, West Block, Confederation Building
St. John’s, NL A1B 4J6
Please note the deadline for online and mail-in submissions is October 9, 2020.
Written submissions received for the prior deadline of April 30, 2020 do not need to be sent again.
Option 4 - Request for Accommodation:
If you wish to participate in the consultation process and require accommodation, please contact Sharmane Allen by September 30, 2020, via email at [email protected] or call (709) 729-6381. Requests for accommodation will be addressed on a case by case basis in consultation with the Disability Policy Office or applicable government department. Please click here for more information on the Inclusive Public Engagement Policy.
Presentations/Submission Documents Received
The public consultation portion of the 2019SRWCS concluded on October 15, 2020. The Committee would like to thank those who participated in the process. In total the Committee received thirty-three submissions (13 in-person; four videoconferences; four teleconferences; ten on-line and two mail-in).
To facilitate an open and transparent consultation process, the Committee asked all participants if their submission could be posted on the engageNL website. View the submissions that were publishable pursuant to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015.
How will your input be used?
The Committee looks forward to receiving your input and assures that all input will receive due consideration in preparation of the final report.
Privacy Statement
The collection of information is done under the authority of section 61(c) of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015, for the purpose of collecting public feedback on Newfoundland and Labrador’s workers’ compensation system.
All submissions to the Committee are subject to and may be released in accordance with the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not include personal information with your submission.
Only those presentations with the prior written consent of the presenter will be published on the engageNL website. As such, your written consent is required per the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015.
If you have any questions about how this information is being collected, used and disclosed, please contact Sharon M. Seaward, ATIPP Coordinator by email at [email protected].
Contact Us
If you have any questions or additional comments please contact Sharmane Allen by phone at (709) 729-6381 or by email at [email protected].
