Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to:
Scope
This policy applies to the classification of employers who are assessed in accordance with Section 54(1) of the WC Act.
Statements
1.0 General
The workers’ compensation system provides protection to employers from the financial risks associated with workplace injuries and illnesses.
The system operates on the principle of collective liability for employers. That is, a pooling of revenue from the entire assessed employer population that is then used to pay the present and future costs for workers who incur claims, as well as the administration costs.
The intent of the system is not to balance each insured employer’s assessment premium payment exactly to the insured employer’s costs, but rather to group and assess employers by similar industry and accident risk.
The philosophy of collective liability and the indivisibility of the accident fund are inherent in the classification process.
1.1 Transition to NAICS
From 1996 to 2008, WorkSafeNB used the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system to classify employers. In January 2009, WorkSafeNB began calculating assessment rates using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
All employers were reclassified effective January 1, 2009 and their 2009 assessment rate reflected this new classification. The reclassification may have resulted in a significant increase or decrease in an individual employer’s 2009 basic rate when compared to 2008 rates.
To minimize the impact of this change, WorkSafeNB capped the annual increases and decreases of the basic assessment rates at the individual employer level until all employers within the industry are at the same basic rate. This means that some employers who compete against each other may not be assessed at the same basic rate during the transition period. For more information, see Policy 23-600 Setting Basic Assessment Rates.
2.0 Classification Structure
WorkSafeNB classifies each employer based on the employer’s primary business activity, regardless of the occupation of individual workers.
Similar employers are grouped into industries using the NAICS. Once grouped into industries, WorkSafeNB combines like industries into industry groups based on their similarity of:
WorkSafeNB classifies employers by industry, industry group, and rate group for the purpose of establishing assessment rates. These groupings provide for fairness of cost distribution and stability of rates.
WorkSafeNB’s employer classification system also ensures that:
3.0 Determining an Employer’s Classification
An employer account will be established with WorkSafeNB upon receipt of a completed Application for Coverage form in accordance with Policy 23-100 Employer Registration.
As part of the registration process, employers are required to provide a detailed description of their operations. WorkSafeNB uses this information to determine the employer’s industry classification.
First, WorkSafeNB reviews the information provided by the employer to determine the nature of the business activities.
Then WorkSafeNB looks at the NAICS Codes Manual to determine if it contains a similar description. The NAICS codes are used to identify the distinct industries operating in the province. WorkSafeNB uses the NAICS code and its description of activities, as the primary tool to assign employers to an industry.
WorkSafeNB assigns the NAICS code that best represents the primary business activity described by the employer.
In situations where the NAICS code description of activities does not specifically encompass all the business activities for a particular industry, WorkSafeNB will apply the guidelines provided in section 4 of this document.
WorkSafeNB may review the occupations of the employer’s workers as an indication of the type of business activity.
3.1 Notice of Change in Business Activity
Employers are responsible for notifying WorkSafeNB of any change in their business activities or the addition of any new business activities.
If an employer fails to notify WorkSafeNB of a change to, or addition of, a business activity, WorkSafeNB may reassess the employer retroactively to the date of the change.
4.0 Special Classification Considerations
The WC Act does not provide for special exceptions for the classification of assessed employers.
Generally, employers are not assigned multiple classifications.
The sections below outline WorkSafeNB’s classification of employers in situations where clear direction cannot be obtained through the use of NAICS codes.
4.1 Capital Construction
If an employer undertakes capital construction, using its own workers or unregistered sub-contractors, to expand, modify or replace facilities necessary for the operation of the business, this activity will be classified separately from the normal business activity.
4.2 Classification of Employer Affiliates
Employers are considered to be affiliated, even though they are separately registered when:
Separately registered employers are considered to have a degree of common ownership when:
For the purpose of this policy, members of the same family may include:
Employers may also be considered affiliated when there is a degree of common ownership and the businesses share employees, or there is an indication of employees or assets that transfer from one company to the other.
Employer affiliates receive the same classification and are combined for accident history and rate setting purposes.
If an employer’s business activities are supportive of multiple business activities, then classification is done using the criteria specified under subsection 4.5 Supportive Business Activity.
4.3 Operations in More Than One Jurisdiction
If an employer operates business activities partly in New Brunswick, and partly outside this province, then the employer will be classified on the basis of the business activity conducted within New Brunswick.
For example, an out-of-province manufacturer with a New Brunswick retail sales outlet will be classified based on the retail activity.
4.4 Multiple and Intermingled Business Activities
WorkSafeNB may assign a single employer multiple classifications if:
WorkSafeNB will review each activity to determine if the employer will be assigned multiple classifications. Examples of factors that WorkSafeNB may consider include:
WorkSafeNB will combine activities into one classification when an employer has multiple business activities and the personnel spend time intermingling (i.e., working between these multiple business activities).
The highest rated classification will be used if it accounts for at least 40% of the intermingled group of activities.
Personnel, who intermingle between two or more business activities, will be assigned to the highest rated activity, unless 90% or more of their time is spent in another activity.
4.5 Supportive Business Activity
WorkSafeNB determines if the business activity is supportive and should be assigned the classification of the employer’s primary business activity. Supportive business activities include, but are not limited to:
Supportive of more than one classification
When a business activity supports two or more classifications, WorkSafeNB assigns the activity to the classification group with the highest basic assessment rate.
WorkSafeNB will do this when the activity comprises at least 40% of all the classifications that are being supported.
A number of indicators can be examined in order to determine what meets the 40% criteria. These are:
4.6 Out-of-Province Administration
For more information on the classification of an employer with administrative staff assigned to operations outside New Brunswick, see Policy 23-305 Administration of Out-of-Province Operations.
4.7 Management Company
A management company is a distinct and separate business entity having effective financial control of one or more associated companies, and sharing the following characteristics:
Management companies are assigned to the same classification as their associated companies; they are normally combined with the associated companies for accident cost history and rate setting purposes.
5.0 Effective Date of Classification Change
WorkSafeNB may change an employer’s classification when there has been:
New Business Operation
In the case of a new business operation, the effective date of the classification is the date on which the new business begins operations.
Existing Business Operations
The following table indicates the effective date of classification changes, based on the reason for the reclassification.
Effective Dates for Reclassifications
Higher Rate Group | Lower Rate Group | |
Classification error | January 1st of the following year | Retroactive to the date the error was made subject to limitations in this policy. |
Omission / misrepresentation by employer |
Retroactive to the beginning of period for which the omission or misrepresentation was made | January 1st of the current year |
Changes in operations | January 1st of the following year | January 1st of the current year |
Change to policy | January 1st of the following year | January 1st of the current year |
WorkSafeNB has the authority to determine classifications and make adjustments to classifications. There are situations that arise in the classification process:
If an employer’s business activity is reclassified to a lower rate group in order to correct an error made by WorkSafeNB, then the reclassification will be made effective retroactively to the date the error was made, subject to the following limitations:
No retroactive corrections will be made for more than three years from the 1st of January of the year that the error was detected, i.e., the correction will be made for the current year, minus three years, for a total of four years.
Workers’ Compensation Act (RSNB 1973, c W-13)
31(2), 34(2)(a), 34(2)(b), 34(2)(c), 34(2)(d), 34(2)(e), 34(2)(f), 34(2)(g), 34(2)(h), 34(2)(I) and 34(2)(j)
50, 51, 53(3), 53(9)(a), 53(9)(b), 53(9)(c), 53(9)(d), 54(1)(a), 54(1)(b), 54(1)(c), 57(1) and 59(1)
Case Law
On September 20, 2000, the New Brunswick Court of Appeals in Saint John Shipbuilding, Ltd. vs. WHSCC interpreted Section 54(1) as providing the Commission with wide discretion in making the assessments contemplated by Section 54(1).
Policy 23-100 Employer Registration
Policy 23-305 Administration of Out-of-Province Operations
Policy 23-600 Setting Basic Assessment Rates
Policy 23-605 Experience Rating System
Appendices
Appendix A - Classification Flowchart
Accident – includes a wilful and intentional act, not being the act of a worker, and also includes a chance event occasioned by a physical or natural cause, as well as a disablement caused by an occupational disease and any other disablement arising out of and in the course of employment, but does not include the disablement of mental stress or a disablement caused by mental stress, other than as an acute reaction to a traumatic event. (WC Act)
Appeals Tribunal – means the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal established under the WHSCC & WCAT Act.
Assessment premium – is equal to the assessment rate multiplied by $100 of assessable payroll.
Industry – refers to the whole or any part of any industry, operation, undertaking or employment within the scope of the WC Act; and in the case of any industry, operation, undertaking or employment not as a whole within the scope of Part I of the WC Act means any department or part of such industry, operation, undertaking or employment as would, if carried on by itself, be within the scope of the WC Act. (WC Act)
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) – a common framework for the production of comparable industry statistics by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. As a reference manual, the NAICS provides a classification structure that includes industry definitions and examples to clarify the content of each industry. (Statistics Canada – North American Industry Classification System, 2002)
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) – Statistics Canada’s former framework for collecting, compiling and disseminating economic statistics for groups of businesses that are engaged in similar activities.
WorkSafeNB – means the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission or "the Commission" as defined by the WHSCC & WCAT Act.