To increase the confidence of workers and employers, the British Columbia government will undertake a formal review of its workers’ compensation system with the appointment of retired labour lawyer Janet Patterson.

To shift the workers’ compensation system to become more worker centred, the review will assess:

• the system’s policies and practices that support injured workers’ return to work;
• WorkSafeBC’s current policies and practices through a gender- and diversity-based analysis (commonly referred to as GBA+);
• modernization of WorkSafeBC’s culture to reflect a worker-centric service delivery model;
• the case management of injured workers; and
• any potential amendments to the Workers Compensation Act arising from this focused review.

There will be a public engagement process to ensure that Patterson’s review is informed by feedback from employers, labour organizations and injured workers.

The review will consider any steps that may be required to increase the confidence of workers and employers in the system, and whether there are any other improvements that could be made.

A report, including possible recommendations, will be delivered to government by Sept. 30, 2019.

A backgrounder with Patterson's biography follows.