Welcome to the Office of the Employer Adviser (OEA) Spring 2025 Newsletter. Important changes continue in the workplace safety and insurance system – staying informed is key! Topics covered in this newsletter:

Ontario fruit and vegetable growers employ approximately 20,000 seasonal and temporary foreign workers through the government-regulated Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) and the agricultural stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program every year

Experienced professionals who can help with WSIB:, claims management, return to work and re-employment, hearings and appeals, reporting an accident, answer questions about premiums, independent operator issues, negotiation and mediation

The WSIB launched its Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEp) in 2019 to help employers create healthier and safer workplaces. Active participation in the HSEp may result in premium rebates for Schedule 1 employers and non-financial recognition in the form of digital achievement badges for both Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 employers.

The WSIB has announced the premium rates for 2024. The average premium rate will stay at $1.30 per hundred dollars of insurable payroll in 2024. Fifteen classes/subclasses have had their premium rate increase, eighteen classes/subclasses have had their premium rate decrease, and two subclass rates remain unchanged from last year.