Extend workers’ compensation for mental-health injuries sustained on job: Manitoba union

Mental-health injuries sustained while working should be covered by workers’ compensation, according to a labour union representing thousands of Manitoba workers.

The Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL), which represents about 125,000 members, is calling on the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba to include more mental health coverage.

The legislation currently covers mental-health injuries from a single traumatic event. But MFL president Kevin Rebeck wants to see that coverage extended.

“People are most familiar with things like PTSD, which are from a traumatic event typically,” said Rebeck. “But there’s also people who get injured, mental-health injuries, from excessive stress, from burnout or from toxic workplaces. And today, our workers’ compensation system isn’t set up to cover those.

“So people are left on their own to try and get well and get the help that they need, and that’s simply not fair.”

As conversations around mental health get louder, Rebeck says there need to be resources available to support those impacted.

“Think for a long time, mental-health injuries have been misunderstood and they haven’t been talked about,” he said. “But times are changing. We’re evolving. We’re finding out that these are serious issues that need support and help. And it’s OK to get that support and help. But we still don’t have enough supports and help in society, in our communities, and we don’t have coverage.”

Rebeck says the MFL commissioned a poll by Probe Research that showed 70 per cent of Manitobans want more support for work-related mental-health injuries from the Workers Compensation Board.

He says the MFL is hearing from workers about how they are impacted when faced with these circumstances.

“In many cases, they can’t afford to go and find or they can’t find the mental-health supports that they need to get,” said Rebeck. “Well, that means they can miss time from work. That means they could have medical expenses that they have to absorb themselves. And for many, it means they just try to get by without dealing with those mental-health injuries. And that’s something that no one should have to do.”

Rebeck says what the labour union is asking for is possible. The MFL is calling on the government to take action.

“Our WCB system is well funded,” said Rebeck. “They’ve regularly the last few years been giving rebates to employers because they’ve collected more than they’ve paid out. And from a political point of view, our premier, our government today could make this change. WCB could absorb these costs. There is no direct cost to government for making these changes, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to do it.”