New Horizons for OHS and Workers’ Compensation: Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace

Seminar Summary

Increasing calls to address psychological health and safety in the workplace have resulted in changes in OHS and Workers’ Compensation legislation as well as the development of standards and practices. These changes and developments raise the expectations placed on employers for addressing psychological or mental health in the workplace, and have lowered the bar for obtaining compensation for psychological injuries. In this seminar, we will explore psychological health and safety in the workplace. Topics will include:

• OHS trends towards protecting workers from psychological harm and managing mental health in the workplace
• Recent decisions of courts and tribunals addressing psychological health and safety
• The Canadian Standards Association standard, Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (released January 2013), and its likely implications
• Developments in workers’ compensation law for workers advancing mental health-related claims