Examining the features and impacts of workers’ compensation policies for chronic pain on health, social, and economic outcomes

Compensation claims for chronic pain are high and rising at workers’ compensation boards across Canada, in part because of the growing recognition of the legitimacy of chronic pain. The policy language being used by workers’ compensation boards has not always kept pace with evolving evidence about chronic pain: it varies across provinces and territories, and further adjustments to language are not always consistent across all policies or proposed policy changes. The compensation rate for chronic pain, as set by workers’ compensation boards, sometimes has design features that differ significantly as compared to other forms of functional impairment (e.g., a flat rate of 2.5% for permanent disability instead of a rate tied to the level of functional impairment) and the rate varies across provinces and territories. Understanding the features and impacts of workers’ compensation policies for chronic pain is a first step in ensuring they are aligned with the best-available evidence and can support the health and well-being of injured workers.