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Emerging IssuesEach of the following environmental factors will have a range of issues that will impact workers’ compensation systems and although not exhaustive, are intended to assist with identifying opportunities and challenges. These emerging issues identified are not static and evolve over time.
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MEDICAL / BIOLOGICAL - GENERAL |
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There is emerging discussion about overall and workforce population health relevant to the management of healthcare costs and the reduction of risks that impact productivity, performance factors and employer labour costs. The prevalence of conditions and factors, together with predicted improvement potential of each is relevant to reduced healthcare, workers’ compensation and disability expenses. NCCI study concludes that the key driver is not price but the growth in the number of medical treatments and the move to more complex and expensive treatments. |
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BREAST CANCER |
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DIABETES |
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GENERAL HEALTH / WELLNESS |
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Canadian Community Health Survey, 2010 (Statistics Canada, The Daily, June 2011). "In 2010, 6 in 10 Canadians, or 17.3 million people, aged 12 and older assessed their health as very good or excellent. At the same time, new data indicated some shifts in the health of the population." Includes information on:
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WorkHealth Checks (WorkSafe Victoria, Australia). "WorkHealth checks provide Victorian workers with the opportunity to receive a free convenient and confidential health check in the workplace."
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Canadian Health Measures Survey, 2007 to 2009. (Statistics Canada, January 2010). "Between 1981 and 2009, fitness levels of Canadian children and youth, as well as those of adults, declined significantly, according to the first findings from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). This is the most comprehensive national survey ever conducted in Canada to determine fitness levels."
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MENTAL HEALTH |
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Public Consultation for Workplace Mental Health Standard Underway (Canadian Standards Association). The Mental Health Commission of Canada, Bureau de normalisation du Québec and Canadian Standards Association are developing a voluntary "National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace", scheduled for release in the second half of 2012. See News Release here.
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Return to Work after absence due to mental health issue (IRSST, October 2011). IRSST looked at RTW after an absence due to mental health issue and have designed a RTW program accordingly. See publication: Retour au travail après une absence pour un problème de santé mentale - Conception, implantation et évaluation d'un programme intégré des pratiques de soutien (Design, implementation and evaluation of an integrated program of practices for supporting a return to work following an absence due to a mental health problem) (IRSST). Download publication here.
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The meaning that people ascribe to their work can have either positive or negative effects on their mental health and their commitment to their organization.
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Some indicators of psychological distress may be observed in organizations as well as workers. Psychological balance has a direct impact on employees' commitment to their organization.
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According to the study, six characteristics make work meaningful: social purpose/utility, autonomy, learning/development opportunities, moral correctness, the quality of relationships, and recognition.
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There are ways of preventing psychological distress (protective effects); there are also ways of promoting psychological well-being, and these may have beneficial effects."
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Occupational Mental Health Problems A Proposed Prevention Process (IRSST, Summer 2008). "Knowledge of the effects of stress alone is not enough to transform work.” Despite an impressive volume of experimental data showing the harmful effects of occupational stress on the health of both people and organizations, little is yet known about intervention processes in this area. Interview with Jean-Pierre Brun, Director of the Chair in occupational health and safety management, Université Laval."
Source: Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST),
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Resources |
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NANOPARTICLES |
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Engineered Nanoparticles: Current Knowledge about OHS Risks and Prevention Measures - Second Edition (IRRST, July 2010). "An initial assessment of the state of scientific knowledge about the occupational health and safety aspects (OHS) related to synthetic nanoparticles (NP) was published by the IRSST in 2006 and covered the scientific literature until the end of 2004. What was found was that OHS knowledge was very fragmentary but that research in this field was rapidly growing. This current document aims to assess the state of current knowledge in this field and summarizes the data available until early 2010."
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Wiki on Nanotechnologies (IRSST, June 2009). "The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), the International Centre on Nanotechnology of Rice University (ICON), the British Columbia Nanotechnology Alliance, Industry Canada and NanoQuébec joined forces to develop an interactive platform on nanotechnologies. This practical tool, called GoodNanoGuide, is designed for workers and researchers who manufacture, synthetize or use nanoparticles. Other partners from the United States, Canada and Europe also participated in this project. Provided by experts from the world of nanotechnologies, the content is available free of charge on the Internet at: http://www.goodnanoguide.org/. In addition to covering part of the costs associated with this project, the IRSST was asked to share the results of its research, provide links to its research reports regarding nanotechnologies and submit recommendations to promote the management and control of risk factors in order to prevent occupational injuries."
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Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology: Managing the Health and Safety Concerns Associated with Engineered Nanomaterials (NIOSH, United States). See document at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2009-125/.
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OBESITY |
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Canadian Health Measures Survey, 2007 to 2009. (Statistics Canada, January 2010). "Between 1981 and 2009, fitness levels of Canadian children and youth, as well as those of adults, declined significantly, according to the first findings from the Canadian Health Measures Survey. This is the most comprehensive national survey ever conducted in Canada to determine fitness levels."
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Obesity on the job (Statistics Canada, The Daily, February 2009). "The prevalence of obesity in the Canadian workforce, especially for men, has risen during the past decade. In 2005, 15.7% of employed Canadians aged 18 to 64, or more than two million people, were obese, up from 12.5% in the mid-1990s. Obesity becomes more than just a personal health issue when it begins to affect job performance. The odds of being absent from work were almost four times higher for obese young men aged 18 to 34 than for those with normal weight, after controlling for socioeconomic and health-related factors. Obesity was also related to reduced work activities, more disability days, and higher rates of work injury for women aged 35 to 54." See full article.
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OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE |
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Tracking Occupational Diseases |
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Occupational Exposure Limits |
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OPIOIDS |
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WCB Opioid and Narcotics Policies |
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WCBs with Opioid or Narcotics Policies (at December 2011):
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Managing Opioid Prescribing |
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SHIFTWORK |
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Source: Public Library of Science, PLOS Medicine, "Rotating Night Shift Work and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Two Prospective Cohort Studies in Women" by An Pan, Eva S. Schernhammer, Qi Sun, and Frank B. Hu, Harvard School of Public Health, http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001141, published December 6, 2011, extracted December 14, 2011. |
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Are those who work shifts more at risk of work injury? (Institute for Work & Health, At Work, Winter 2011). "The number of Canadians working shifts other than a regular daytime schedule is on the rise. A new study suggests that those who work night or rotating shifts are more at risk of getting injured on the job."
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Shift work and health (R. Saunders, Institute for Work & Health, Issue Briefing, April 2010). "Key Messages:
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People who work night shifts are likely to have shorter sleep duration and/or poorer sleep quality than regular day workers.
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Long-term exposure to night shift work may elevate the risk of breast cancer. There are also findings pointing to an elevated risk of colorectal cancer.
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Some studies indicate an elevated risk of preterm delivery, gastrointestinal disorders and mental health problems among shift workers.
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Research findings regarding a causal link between shift work and heart disease are inconsistent.
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Shift workers, especially those working at night, face a higher risk of workplace injury than regular day workers.
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Promising approaches to mitigate the adverse effects of shift work include restricting successive evening or night shifts to three shifts, limiting weekend work, moving from backward to forward shift rotation and using a participatory approach to the design of shift schedules.
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More research is needed to resolve some of the questions regarding the health effects of shift work, and to investigate the impact of interventions designed to mitigate the adverse consequences of shift work on health."
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STRESS |
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Study: Sources of stress among workers, 2010 (Statistics Canada, October 2011). "In 2010, about 27% of working adults, roughly 3.7 million people, described their lives on most days as 'quite a bit' or 'extremely' stressful, meaning that they went through a regular day feeling a high level of stress. Another 6.3million (46%) said they were 'a bit' stressed." For more details, including what workers identified as sources of their stress, see here.
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The Hidden Cost of Stress for Organizations (Conference Board of Canada, August 2009). "The serious economic downturn—which has led to job losses now in the hundreds of thousands—is turning the workplace into a high-stress environment. Organizations are more vulnerable to the costs of stress at a time when they can least afford it. ... Prolonged stress can contribute to serious illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and cardiovascular disease."
Source: The Conference Board of Canada, Inside Edge, The Hidden Cost of Stress for Organizations, August 17, 2009. |
Work stress and job performance (Statistics Canada, Perspectives on Labour and Income, December 2007). "Stressed workers are also more likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive and less safe at work."
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GOVERNMENT / REGULATORY / LEGISLATION - GENERAL |
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Medical marijuana |
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Late-night worker legislation |
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Assessment payments |
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DRUG / ALCOHOL TESTING |
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Workplace drug and alcohol testing |
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Random testing takes centre stage in Alberta. "A group of employers, labour associations and unions in Alberta have joined forces to participate in a two-year initiative to evaluate and report on the effectiveness of comprehensive workplace drug and alcohol programs, including random testing." The project is called the Drug and Alcohol Risk Reduction Pilot Project (DARRPP). See OHS Canada's July 3, 2012 article Random testing takes centre stage in Alberta. |
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Random alcohol testing in the workplace |
Supreme Court of Canada to hear case on random alcohol testing in the workplace. See Supreme Court of Canada website for case summary of Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 30 v Irving Pulp & Paper, Limited. |
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FIREFIGHTER PRESUMPTIONS |
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FOREIGN / MIGRANT / UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS |
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Nova Scotia signs temporary foreign worker agreement with federal government (Government of Nova Scotia, March 2011). "The provincial government will be able to recommend the entry of some temporary foreign workers without requiring a labour market assessment by Service Canada. The exemptions will be determined according to criteria to be set by the province. The agreement also provides a framework for closer co-operation between the two levels of government to better educate employers and potential workers about their rights and responsibilities."
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MANDATORY RETIREMENT |
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MENTAL HEALTH |
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BC's Act includes bullying/harassment in its mental disorders provision |
Effective July 2012, BC's Workers Compensation Act's mental disorder provision includes bullying/harassment. See WorkSafeBC's Mental Health in the Workplace. Also see Bill 14 for specific wording of the new provision. |
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DEMOGRAPHIC - GENERAL |
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Resources |
Report on the Demographic Situation in Canada (Statistics Canada). "The Report on the Demographic Situation in Canada is a document published on a regular basis that presents an analysis of the demographic situation in Canada at the national, provincial and sub-provincial levels." Subjects include: Births and deaths; Mobility and migration; Population changes; and Immigrants and non-permanent residents.
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AGING WORKFORCE |
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Federal Budget 2012 - changes to Old Age Security (Government of Canada). As part of the 2012 federal budget, it was announced that the age of eligibility for Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) will be increased from 65 years old to 67 years old. Changes will be gradually implemented between April 1, 2023 and January 2029. |
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Study: Delayed retirement, 2010 (Statistics Canada, October 2011). "A 50-year-old worker in 2008 could expect to stay in the labour force 3.5 years longer than in the mid-1990s, according to an indicator that tracks the retirement behaviour of Canadians. ... According to the indicator, older workers have been increasingly delaying their retirement since the mid-1990s. This is consistent with the increase in the employment rate of older Canadians that began about the same time. According to this measure, in 2008, an employed 50-year-old had an expected additional 16 years at work. This is roughly 3.5 years longer than workers of the same age in the mid-1990s, who could expect to work 12.5 more years. The 3.5-year increase was the same for both men and women."
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Canada's population estimates: Age and sex, July 1, 2011 (Statistics Canada, September 2011). "As of July1, the median age of Canada's population was estimated at 39.9 years, up 0.2 years from the same date a year earlier. The main factors explaining the aging of the Canadian population are fertility rates persistently below the generation replacement level of 2.1 children per woman and an increasing life expectancy. On July1 , the number of people aged 65 years or older was estimated at 4,973,400 or14.4% of Canada's population, up 0.3 percentage points from the same date a year earlier. The proportion of seniors will grow more rapidly in the coming years as the first generation of baby boomers are now reaching the age of 65. On the other hand, the proportion of children under the age of 15 has decreased, representing 16.4% of the total population or 5,644,800." See detailed information here.
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Population projections: Canada, the provinces and territories: 2009 to 2036 (Statistics Canada, The Daily, May 2010). "All growth scenarios considered, Canada's population could exceed 40 million by 2036. The ageing of the population is projected to accelerate rapidly, as the entire baby boom generation turns 65 during this period. The number of senior citizens could more than double, outnumbering children for the first time. ... By 2036, the number of seniors is projected to reach between 9.9 million and 10.9 million, more than double the level of 4.7 million in 2009. They would surpass the number of children aged 14 or under for the first time ever between 2015 and 2021, depending on the scenario. By 2036, the median age of the population would range between 42 and 45 years, compared with the current median of 39.5."
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POPULATION |
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2011 Census: Population and dwelling counts (Statistics Canada, The Daily, February 2012). "The population of Canada increased 5.9% between the 2006 and 2011 censuses, compared with a 5.4% increase during the previous five-year period. A full analysis is available in the report, The Canadian Population in 2011: Population Counts and Growth. The increase in the growth rate was attributable to slightly higher fertility and to an increase in the number of non-permanent residents and immigrants. Canada's population increased at a faster rate than the population of any other member of the G8 group of industrialized nations between 2006 and 2011. Net international migration (the difference between immigrants and emigrants) accounted for two-thirds of Canada's population growth during the last 10 years, and natural increase (the difference between births and deaths) for about one-third. The 2011 Census of Population enumerated 33,476,688 people in Canada, compared with 31,612,897 in 2006." See The Canadian Population in 2011: Population Counts and Growth for further details.
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Canada's population estimates: Age and sex, July 1, 2011 (Statistics Canada, September 2011). "Population growth slows: On July 1, Canada's population was estimated at 34,482,800, up 356,600, or 1.0%, from the same date in 2010. This was down from the 1.2% gain between July 1, 2009 and July 1, 2010." See detailed information here.
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Quarterly Demographic Estimates, October to December 2011 (Statistics Canada, March 2012). Some Highlights are: “In the fourth quarter of 2011, Canada’s population grew by 65,000 or 0.2% to an estimated 34,670,400 on January 1, 2012. This is fairly similar to the fourth-quarter growth observed in recent years. Net international migration accounted for slightly less than two-thirds (57%) of the country’s population growth in the fourth quarter of 2011. The populations of the three Prairie provinces grew faster than the national average. Alberta (0.5%) had the greatest population growth in Canada from October, 2011 to January, 2012.”
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Resources |
Quarterly Demographic Estimates (Statistics Canada). "This publication presents quarterly estimates of population for Canada, provinces and territories as well as statistics on the following components of population change: births, deaths, immigration, emigration, returning emigration, net temporary emigration, net non-permanent residents and interprovincial migration, the latter by origin and destination."
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TECHNOLOGY - GENERAL |
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NANOTECHNOLOGY |
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Wiki on Nanotechnologies (IRSST, June 2009). "The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), the International Centre on Nanotechnology of Rice University (ICON), the British Columbia Nanotechnology Alliance, Industry Canada and NanoQuébec joined forces to develop an interactive platform on nanotechnologies. This practical tool, called GoodNanoGuide, is designed for workers and researchers who manufacture, synthetize or use nanoparticles. Other partners from the United States, Canada and Europe also participated in this project. Provided by experts from the world of nanotechnologies, the content is available free of charge on the Internet at: http://www.goodnanoguide.org/. In addition to covering part of the costs associated with this project, the IRSST was asked to share the results of its research, provide links to its research reports regarding nanotechnologies and submit recommendations to promote the management and control of risk factors in order to prevent occupational injuries."
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Resources |
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ECONOMIC |
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Canadian Outlook Economic Forecast: Winter 2012 (Conference Board of Canada, February 2012). "This quarterly economic forecast provides highlights of the Canadian Outlook report, which presents the short-term national outlook. Document highlights:
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A volatile global environment has caused us to pull back on our outlook for Canada’s economy. Real GDP is now forecast to advance by 2.1 per cent in 2012, down from 2.4 per cent forecast in our autumn 2011 Canadian Outlook.
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Recent indicators suggest that, assuming the eurozone manages to avoid collapsing even deeper into crisis, the United States will perform slightly better in 2012 than it did in 2011.
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Stable food and energy prices will bring inflation back under control this year, allowing the Bank of Canada to hold off longer on rate hikes.
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Despite rock-bottom interest rates, households will struggle with high debt levels. Combined with softer growth in business investment and public sector restraint, this will contribute to a soft domestic economy in 2012."
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The U.S. economy continues to expand and create jobs, but the ongoing European sovereign debt problems threaten to disrupt global economic activity and hurt Canada’s trade flows.
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Strong commodity prices are boosting the economies of Western Canada. Real GDP growth in the region will far outpace the national average over the next two years.
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Labour shortages are resurfacing out West and could be a drag on near-term growth there.
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Fiscal policy will remain relatively loose in Alberta and Saskatchewan but will tighten in other provinces, limiting their economic growth over the near-term.
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Atlantic Canada is facing modest near-term economic growth."
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Despite the improving global situation, Canada’s near-term performance is being held back by significant fiscal restraint. A return to full employment will not occur until 2016.
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Beyond 2016, economic growth will align with easing potential output growth, a result of the exodus of baby boomers from the labour market.
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Steady growth in global demand for energy and other commodities will continue to stimulate investment and production in Canada—a favourable condition that will also keep our currency strong in relation to the greenback.
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Strong immigration will not reverse Canada’s aging trend. By 2035, Canada’s population will reach 44 million, roughly 10 million more than today.
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The recession has left the federal and many provincial governments mired in red ink. Provincial governments will find it particularly difficult to correct the situation as aging boomers put pressure on health care budgets. At the same time, the federal government is expected to play a smaller direct role in tomorrow’s economy."
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This long-term outlook extends to the year 2035, by which time the majority of the baby boomers will have exited the labour market. A consistent slowing in labour force growth means that Canada’s economic growth will ease steadily over the forecast period, slowing to an annual pace of 1.9 per cent in the final five years.
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Alberta and Saskatchewan will occupy the top two spots over the long term. Steady growth in global demand for energy and other commodities (in particular potash) will continue to stimulate investment and mining output in those two provinces.
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Ontario’s near-term challenges, especially on the fiscal side, are not indicative of its long-term economic outlook. Rising international migration will benefit the province, especially the service sector.
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Over the long term, real GDP growth will average 2 per cent in British Columbia and 1.6 per cent in Prince Edward Island, as the two provinces become preferred retirement havens for baby boomers.
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The depletion of oil reserves and fewer mega energy projects will weigh heavily on Newfoundland and Labrador, mainly from 2020 on as the population starts to decline.
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Population will peak early next decade in New Brunswick, and real GDP growth will be modest over the long term. In Nova Scotia, the $25-billion contract won by Irving Shipbuilding to build 21 combat ships for the Royal Canadian Navy will help keep the provincial economy growing over the next three decades.
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Quebec’s long-term prospects are dampened by its demography. Despite a rising trend in the number of births in the last few years, the effects of an aging population will be felt much sooner in Quebec than elsewhere.
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Solid international immigration will help population growth remain above the national average in Manitoba, where real GDP growth will remain strong by historical standards."
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RECESSION |
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ECONOMIC |
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Consumer Price Index |
Consumer Price Index, March 2012 (Statistics Canada, April 2012). "Consumer prices rose 1.9% between March 2011 and March 2012, following a 2.6% increase in February. This 0.7 percentage point difference was largely the result of slower year-over-year increases in prices for food and energy."
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Gross domestic product |
Gross domestic product by industry, February 2012 (Statistics Canada, April 2012). "Real gross domestic product declined0.2% in February. Temporary closures in mining and other goods-producing industries contributed to the decline. Decreases in mining and oil and gas extraction, manufacturing, utilities as well as forestry and logging outpaced advances in construction. In service-producing industries, gains in wholesale trade and in the finance and insurance sector outweighed declines in retail trade and in the transportation and warehousing sector."
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Canadian economic accounts, fourth quarter 2011 and December 2011 (Statistics Canada, March 2012). “Real gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.4% in the fourth quarter, after advancing 1.0% in the third quarter. Consumer spending and exports contributed the most to fourth-quarter GDP growth. Final domestic demand grew 0.5%. On a monthly basis, real GDP by industry increased 0.4% in December.”
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Gross domestic product by industry: Provinces and territories 2011 (preliminary data) (Statistics Canada, April 2012). "In 2011, real gross domestic product ( GDP) by industry increased in every province and territory except the Northwest Territories. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Nunavut had the fastest growth in the country owing to exploration, mining and related construction activities. Nationally, real GDP rose 2.6% in 2011 after increasing 3.4% in 2010."
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ECONOMIC |
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Study: Projected trends to 2031 for the Canadian labour force (Statistics Canada) |
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"Overall participation rate declines in all scenarios
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Nearly one person in four in the labour force projected to be 55 or more
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About one person in three in the labour force projected to be foreign born"
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Labour Force Survey (Statistics Canada) |
Labour Force Survey, March 2012 (Statistics Canada, April 2012). "Following four months of little change, employment increased by 82,000 in March, mostly in full-time work. This brought the unemployment rate down 0.2 percentage points to 7.2%."
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Employment Insurance |
Employment Insurance, February 2012 (Statistics Canada, April 2012). "In February, the number of people receiving regular Employment Insurance ( EI) benefits fell by 6,700 (-1.2%) to 552,800. The number of beneficiaries fell in six provinces, with the largest percentage declines occurring in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec."
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GENERAL |
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As Socio-demographic patterns continue to evolve and become more global, communicating complex workplace safety, health and disability insurance information to a variety of stakeholders has its challenges. |
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TEMPORARY FOREIGN & MIGRANT WORKERS and NON-ENGLISH/FRENCH SPEAKING STAKEHOLDERS |
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Where appropriate, the following practices may be implemented:
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Multilingual translation of health, safety, WCB rights and obligations information;
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Ready availability of interpretation services;
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Toll –free multilingual hotline that is also accessible from out of the country;
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Multilingual content on websites;
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Targeted marketing;
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Grass roots community outreach to workers and also to employers/sectors hiring migrant workers;
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Linkages and partnerships with representative groups;
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Increased use of pictograms and video without language;
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Application of plain language principles; and
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Use of culturally diverse images in product design. |
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ACCESSIBILITY TO PROGRAMS AND SERVICES |
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Where required, the following practices may be implemented:
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Ready availability of special needs equipment and accommodation such as Pocketalker, magnification and screenreader software such as Zoom Text on public kiosks;
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Captioning of all videos;
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Publication of material in alternate formats including Braille and large font and pro-active promotion of their availability;
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TTY service– live response & publicized on external communications alongside all other WCB numbers;
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Accessible website;
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Well placed signs with clear recognizable symbols and words, Braille and tactile;
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Use of respectful terms; and
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Community outreach. |
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eCOMMUNICATIONS / eSERVICES |
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Where appropriate, the following practices may be implemented:
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Measurement and monitoring of online feedback (for example, from Facebook, Twitter) to gauge public response to current initiatives;
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Continued availability of hard copy material where appropriate;
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Use of web-casting to reach professional audiences and for consultation with stakeholders who have limited access to WCB offices;
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Application of plain language principles in the development of eServices; and
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Strong eServices customer service team. |
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SOCIAL MEDIA |
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Consideration can be given to the following practices when using social media for corporate communications:
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Ability to use social media to reach either a broad audience or a targeted group;
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Use of social media to respond quickly to customer service issues;
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Use of Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube are examples of social media that can be used to effectively market campaigns and videos; and
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Use as an effective recruitment tool. |
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PICTOGRAMS |
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GHS Pictograms and Hazards (CCOHS, March 2013). “The US Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has recently implemented the Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). For the first time ever, OSHA labels will be required to show a pictogram to help convey hazard information. In Canada, we are starting to see the GHS pictograms on (Material) Safety Data Sheets and product labels. Within the next few years, WHMIS will also implement the GHS.” See CCOHS GHS Pictograms and Hazards. |
***This table has been designed for general information purposes. The AWCBC makes no representations as to the completeness or accuracy of the information (which is not exhaustive). The AWCBC is not responsible for links that lead away from the AWCBC website.***
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