Discussion Paper

Individuals who are self-employed, including partners or proprietors with no workers, are not automatically covered by the Workers Compensation Act. WorkSafeBC offers optional coverage, called POP, to these individuals. Subject to a minimum and maximum amount, POP registrants can choose how much coverage they want to purchase, based on their earnings.

Between January and June, 2013, the Policy, Regulation and Research Division (PRRD) consulted on proposed changes to the policy on POP. These proposals included increasing the minimum POP amount to reflect the provincial minimum wage, as current policy directs.

Of the 12 stakeholders who responded to the consultation, only four were POP holders.

The goal of this second consultation was to gather feedback from individual POP holders. The PRRD wrote to 500 POP holders and asked for their opinion on three issues:

• whether the minimum POP amount should be increased from $1,500 per month to $1,800 per month all at once to reflect minimum wage, or instead be raised to $1,800 incrementally over two years;
• how the minimum POP amount should be increased in the future; and
• whether to clarify the portion of policy regarding POP registration requirements.

The PRRD drafted a discussion paper and proposed policy which addressed these issues. All stakeholders were invited to review these documents, as well as stakeholder feedback from the first consultation, and provide feedback by March 31, 2014.