Performance-based rewards program
Health and safety incentive program for small and large businesses
The Health and Safety Excellence program is a performance-based incentive program from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) that supports the development of a strong and functional health and safety program for your business. Participating firms can create safer workplaces and earn both financial and non-financial recognition.
Register by June 30, 2025 to access health and safety expertise and qualify for potential rebates.
About the WSIB Health and Safety Excellence program
The Health and Safety Excellence program (HSEp) is a performance-based rebate program developed by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and supported by WSN. Participating firms can create safer workplaces and earn both financial and non-financial recognition.
The Excellence program provides Ontario businesses with a clear roadmap on how to improve workplace health and safety. Whether you’re just getting started or want to improve the systems and processes you already have in place, the Excellence program can help you reach your goals. Firms can choose to complete up to five health and safety topics over a 12-month period.
Successfully completed topics, as determined by a WSIB validation will typically receive a minimum rebate per topic of $1,000 up to a maximum of $50,000. The total rebate per action plan will be equal to the amount of your WSIB premiums reported the previous year.
As an additional incentive, small businesses (1-99 full-time employees) can earn double the health and safety rebates, plus $1,000 for their health and safety plan, this year. So, that small business that would normally only be eligible for up to $4,000 is now able to earn up to $9,000 - up to $8,000 in rebates, plus the additional $1,000 for their health and safety plan. As your health and safety experience improves, your businesses will also see greater reductions in their premium rates.
Why choose WSN as your Excellence Program provider?
As an approved program provider, the WSN facilitates two options for employers, depending on your firm size:
- Large Business HSEp for firms with 100 or more employees
- Small Business HSEp for firms with one to 99 employees at the time of registration.
WSN has a program to best fit your business size and sector needs.
WSN has Health and Safety Specialists province-wide with varied sector-specific experience and backgrounds to effectively support both small and large businesses in advancing their health and safety program development.
Firms volunteer to join the Excellence program with a shared purpose: to learn from each other’s experience implementing injury and illness prevention programs. Firms that invest and implement effective health and safety programs can benefit from a WSIB financial incentive.
WSN provides your organization with access to one of the most effective workplace health and safety resources in Ontario. The Excellence program is based on the idea that a well-integrated workplace health and safety program is good for business, and good for your workplace safety culture.
We offer the Health and Safety Excellence program in English and some services in French. To find a provider that offers the full program in French, please contact the WSIB at healthandsafetyexcellence@wsib.on.ca and they’ll recommend the provider(s) that best matches your needs.
Nous offrons le programme Excellence en santé et sécurité en anglais et certains services en français. Pour trouver un prestataire qui offre tout le programme en français, veuillez communiquer avec la WSIB à excellenceensanteetsecurite@wsib.on.ca et elle vous recommandera le ou les prestataires qui correspondent le plus à vos besoins.
Keeping people safe and healthy at work is good for business
How the Excellence program works
- Complete an assessment and select one to five topics to work on for 12 months.
- Develop: Learn and implement safety topic(s) with the support of a dedicated WSN Health and Safety Specialist
- Demonstrate: Submit evidence of implementation for review by WSN first, then by a WSIB validator.
- Achieve: Gain an improved health and safety program and receive rebates and recognition.
What Excellence program members say
“In the past, we did not have a strong health and safety program. We had very few standardized policies and just kind of a general nonchalance about health and safety. The WSIB’s Health and Safety Excellence program has really allowed us to focus and develop policies and procedures that we either didn’t have in place, or discovered may be needed, or thought would be beneficial.
It’s been very helpful in keeping us on track—identifying deficiencies and gaps in our program and helping us fill those deficiencies and gaps in a meaningful way. Because of that, it’s strengthened our focus on health and safety promotion in the workplace and that has led to an overall safer-feeling work environment.”
Ryan Mackett
Communications Manager
Lakehead Region Conservation Authority, Thunder Bay.
Your Excellence program benefits
WSN Excellence program members benefit from an all-inclusive and proven approach — one that sets you apart from the competition and gives you the most value for your safety dollar.
Safer and healthier workplace: Improve your health and safety experience for workers and clients.
Access to free health and safety training including Health and Safety representative training (HSR) for firms with 6 to 19 employees; and Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) part 1 training for firms with 20 or more employees
- Shared knowledge and networking: Gain access to a team of leading health and safety experts and network with peers to help you meet common health and safety challenges.
- Online information and resources: Get exclusive access to WSN member resources on the WSN Excellence program members only platform . You can easily access and download forms, including sample policies, procedures, and checklists, that you can customize to your workplace.
- Individual attention: You can be sure of individual attention and meaningful participation. WSN Health and Safety Specialists check your progress and provide advice on further improvements.
- Save money and time: Earn rebates while improving morale and productivity.
- Expert advice tailored to your needs: Skilled specialists work with you to help determine which health and safety topics your workplace needs to focus on and develop an action plan.
- Leading edge: Participate in a health and safety culture survey to help you build health and safety practices that move you to an advanced standard of excellence.
- Access to services: There are more than 20 health and safety specialists located across the province available to provide you with industry-specific support in training and specialized services including ergonomics, industrial hygiene, and psychological safety.
- Two program streams to choose from based on firm size.
- Peace of mind: Build a well-crafted and functional health and safety program
How to Register
Interested firms can register between December 2024 to June 30, 2025. Invoicing for the registration fee occurs at the time of registration submission.
- WSN will maintain a strict deadline of June 30, 2025, for 2025 registrations. Current firms active in the 2024 program will be allowed to finalize their action plan topics into 2025. WSN Non-member firms will have the opportunity to be grandfathered into the WSN 2024 program.
- WSN will include in the registration form a suggested second lead identified for the program as a back-up, and encourage their involvement along with the manager at the welcome meeting.
- WSN will encourage new firms to begin with two topics but not limit this as a requirement.
Fees
Fees for the WSIB Health and Safety Excellence program are based on the number of active employees you employ in your workplace at the time of registration. This price structure allows firms to select between one to five topics every 12 months, depending on capacity and available resources. Invoicing for the registration fee occurs at the time of submission.
Program registration fee for HSEp 2025*:
Includes support from a dedicated WSN Health and Safety Specialist, member-only resources, webinars, and validation guidance and follow-up.
- 1 to 19 employees $700
- 20 to 99 employees $1500
- 100 + employees $2500
*Plus applicable tax.
Large business rebate incentives (100 plus employees)
Rebate floor (minimum) of $1,000 per successfully completed topic and a cap (maximum) of $50,000 per completed topic. Please note though, that the most you'll receive in rebates, regardless of how many topics you complete, is equal to the amount of your WSIB premiums the previous year. For example, if a business completes five topics but their premiums were $40,000 last year, they will earn a maximum rebate of $40,000.
Small business rebate incentives (1 to 99 employees)
Rebate floor (minimum) of $1,000 per successfully completed topic and can be up to 100 per cent of WSIB annual premiums. Upon completion of an approved action plan, small businesses also receive an additional $1,000 to help cover the provider services and registration fee. There are also double rebate opportunities in 2024 for small business upon successful validation of selected topics.
To learn more, contact Rose Bédard, Prevention Services Assistant by email or telephone 705-482-9628.
Resources
WSN Health and Safety Excellence Program members will have exclusive access to the HSEp portal that includes resource documents and templates for the program.
VIDEO: Watch the 1.5-minute explainer video WSIB Health and Safety Excellence program
Digital platform and how-to-videos
WSIB has created some short videos (3 minutes or so) to assist employers with the digital platform. Employers can access the resources page on the digital platform before creating a login. Explainer videos available: