Legal and Financial Help After a Workplace Incident

In most cases, after an accident, injury or death at work, you’ll be contacted by the workers compensation board in your province. They may be able to connect you with help like specialists or counsellors, and you may be eligible for financial compensation. You may also be contacted by the ministry of labour for your province, which may investigate the accident.

If you’re looking for emotional support for you or your family after a death, injury or illness related to work, Threads of Life can connect you with the one-on-one support of a volunteer family guide. Legal, employment and financial questions need to be handled by agencies or experts in your jurisdiction.

In most cases you can apply for compensation if you received medical treatment beyond first aid, if you are unable to go to work, or are working less because of a work-related injury or illness. Where a fatality has occurred, survivor benefits may also be available for the spouse or dependent(s) of a worker who died as a result of a workplace injury or illness. If a claim has not already been initiated, you can submit a claim through the worker’s compensation board/commission for your province. Look for the link to “Injury/Illness Reporting-Workers” or “Submit a Claim” on the WCB’s website. Most have options to contact them by phone, email or to submit a claim online.

If you are looking for further assistance or guidance on benefits you may be entitled to, you can also reach out to the Workers’ Advisor or Advocate Office for your jurisdiction.

Threads of Life does not provide financial support services.

Threads of Life’s services are available free of charge, for as long as you need them. A remarkable crew of volunteers, as well as generous support from our donors make this possible.

If you are the spouse or dependant of a worker who died as a result of a workplace injury or illness, you may be able to claim survivor benefits from your province’s workers’ compensation board (WCB). If the process has not already been initiated, look for the link to “Injury/Illness Reporting-Workers” or “Submit a Claim” on the WCB web site. Most have options to contact them by phone, email or submit a claim online. You may also have private life insurance, and may be eligible for a portion of your spouse’s work pension and/or Canadian Pension Plan benefits.

If you are looking for further assistance or guidance on benefits you may be entitled to, you can also reach out to the Workers’ Advisor or Advocate Office for your jurisdiction.

In most cases, the worker and family are not able to sue the employer after a work injury, illness or death. In Canada, our workers’ compensation system is considered a “no-fault” type of insurance. However, the employer can still be charged by the government department responsible for health and safety, if they are found to have violated health and safety law.

When you or a family member have been injured at work, or a loved one has died as a result of work injury or illness, sadness and depression are a natural response. It’s important to remember that grief is normal and may go on for a long time – everyone’s journey through grief is different. Grief may also be caused by losses other than death or injury – the loss of a job, a relationship, the loss of dreams of an expected future, etc. There are many types of grief that may be connected to a workplace injury or illness. Grief and depression are not the same thing, and if you’re unsure which you’re dealing with, we recommend you speak with your doctor. You may wish to seek out additional supports — such as counselling — to help you cope.

When dealing with grief and depression, sometimes it’s also helpful to connect with others who’ve had a similar experience. Threads of Life can provide that kind of connection one-on-one, through a volunteer family guide, virtual workshops or in-person events.

During court proceedings or an inquest, the family may be given an opportunity to explain how the workplace injury or death has affected them personally. Many Threads of Life members have experience writing a Victim Impact Statement and our Family Support team can provide guidance and support through this process.

After a sudden death such as a work fatality, family members often seek out help for a loved one, even before they help themselves. It may be helpful for your family member to have someone outside the family they can talk to about how they’re feeling. That someone may be a grief counsellor or therapist, or a bereavement group. Threads of Life offers a peer support program that connects people with a trained listener who has a similar experience (e.g. a widow is connected to another widow, a sister with a sister etc.) and many have found this support very helpful. Keep in mind that each person’s grief journey will be different, so your loved one’s needs may be quite different from your own. Sometimes the best way to help someone else with grief is to help yourself first.