The Ontario government has introduced proposed legislation that would extend mandatory Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) coverage to about 29,000 frontline workers at privately operated residential care facilities, retirement homes and group homes.
The change would close a gap that has left workers at private facilities without the same protections as those doing the same jobs at publicly operated facilities. Workers who could become eligible include personal support workers, registered nurses, social workers, occupational therapists and operations staff.
Tyler Downey, president of SEIU Healthcare Canada, said the expansion marks the end of a long campaign.
“A decades-long fight to bring security and fairness to care workers has been won. For workers in group homes and retirement homes, expanding WSIB coverage to their workplaces is more than a policy change. This is recognition of the dignity of care work, the value of those who do it, and the responsibility we all share to stand behind the people who spend their lives caring for others.”
Coverage gap
Ontario’s nursing and residential care sector employed about 165,000 workers in 2025. More than 75 per cent of employers in Ontario across most sectors are already subject to mandatory WSIB coverage.
Workers at private facilities who are injured or become ill on the job have not had access to the same protections as those at public facilities. The proposed legislation aims to create consistent coverage regardless of who operates the facility.
Laura Walton, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, said the workers most affected are disproportionately women and from equity-deserving communities.
“By acknowledging that workers’ compensation is a right, the Minister has taken a much-needed step toward ensuring that all Ontario workers have access to the benefits to which they are entitled.”
What WSIB provides
The WSIB is a no-fault insurance organization funded by employer premiums. It covers more than five million workers in over 300,000 Ontario workplaces. Benefits include wage-loss payments, medical coverage and support to help injured or ill workers return to work.
Ian DeWaard, provincial director of CLAC, said the coverage is especially significant for workers holding multiple part-time jobs.
“The introduction of WSIB coverage to these workplaces means real support for workers who, until now, were vulnerable to the economic ravages of lost-time injuries and occupational diseases.”
Proposed changes
The legislation is part of a broader package of worker protection measures the government says it will introduce in the coming days. If passed, the changes would apply to all privately operated residential care facilities.
Liv Mendelsohn, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, noted the physical and mental demands of care work.
“These are essential roles that carry significant physical and mental demands over time. Today’s announcement is an important step towards recognizing both the value of care providers and the inherent hazards that come with the job.”
Omar Mahamed, executive director of Choices, said his organization supports the direction while noting implementation questions remain.
“We look forward to seeing how this approach can be implemented in a way that is sustainable and equitable across the sector.”
Eugene Gutierrez, executive director of Threads of Life, a support organization for families affected by workplace tragedy, welcomed the coverage expansion and pointed to a broader goal.
“Even better news will be the day when such coverage is no longer needed because injuries, illnesses and deaths at work have been eliminated.”
