Compensation for federal workers
Eligibility
All federal employees employed by the following organizations:
- Federal departments or agencies
- Crown Corporation
- the Senate, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament, office of the Senate Ethics Officer, office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, Parliamentary Protective Services or of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
Exception: The Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police each administer a separate workers’ compensation program for their members.
A federal employee may be eligible for benefits while recovering from a workplace-related injury or illnesses. The benefits support treatment to help employees return to work and may include:
- health-care benefits for medical treatment (for example, physiotherapy)
- wage recovery (for example, time off work to recover or receive treatments)
- noneconomic loss benefit (for example, physical loss of a body part or function)
- health-care benefits for medical devices (for example, hearing aids)
Dependant(s)
In the event that an employee’s workplace-related injury or illness results in death, the employee’s dependant(s) may be eligible for compensation benefits (a lump sum or pension).
Dependants include:
- the employee’s spouse or common-law partner
- child or children under 18 years of age, and
- child or children over 18 years of age who are physically/mentally dependant on the employee for care
The compensation benefits for dependants cover:
- funeral and other related expenses
- a lump sum payment to the surviving spouse, and
- pensions to the surviving spouse and other dependants
In certain cases, the Public Service Income Benefit Plan may also be available to assist the survivors/dependants of federal employees slain on duty.
Locally engaged employees
Locally engaged employees (individuals hired outside of Canada) are usually foreign citizens Canada hires to work in their country. Locally engaged employees work in Canadian offices overseas, such as embassies and consulates.
Locally engaged employees may be covered by one of the following:
- the workers' compensation board of the country they work in, or
- the GECA, administered directly by the FWCS
Retired employees
Retired federal employees who have been diagnosed with an illness or injury resulting from their previous employment may be eligible for compensation benefits. These situations could include cases of noise-induced hearing loss or other occupational illnesses such as asbestosis.
Related links
Accident or Illness in the workplace – What to do? New