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Mental health presumption extended to 11 new occupations

Published on: June 10, 2024

The presumption now includes parole officers, probation officers, social workers, and others.

Minister of Labour Harry Bains announced regulatory changes that — as of June 10, 2024 — extend the mental health presumption to 11 additional occupations.

An amendment to the Workers Compensation Act in 2018 added mental health disorders to the list of illnesses that are recognized as being associated with certain professions — specifically, police, firefighters, paramedics, sheriffs, and correctional officers. In 2019, the list of professions was expanded to include emergency dispatchers, nurses, and publicly funded health-care assistants. Now, the following jobs have been added to this list: community-integration specialists, coroners, harm-reduction workers, parole officers, probation officers, respiratory therapists, shelter workers, social workers, transition house workers, victim service workers, and withdrawal-management workers.

For more information, please refer to the Ministry of Labour's information bulletin announcing the regulatory changes.