Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding COR.
Who performs the audits?
This depends on the size of the employer. An employer with 20 or more employees must have an audit performed by a certified external auditor, in year 1 of every 3 year cycle. Maintenance Audits in years 2 and 3 may be performed by trained internal staff. Small employers, with less than 20 employees, may have all audits performed by trained internal staff. Regardless of the size of the employer, an individual certified as an external COR auditor is empowered to conduct both certification audits and annual maintenance audits.
Who is eligible for COR?
Any employer registered in the Local Government Classification Unit 753004 is eligible to participate in the Local Government COR program. Other public sector employers, also referred to as naturally-aligned organizations (NAO), may apply to participate in Local Government COR, however, must attain approval from WorkSafeBC prior to application.
What is the Certificate of Recognition (COR)?
COR recognizes and rewards employers who go beyond the legal requirements of the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, by taking a best practices approach to implementing safety management systems in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Return to Work (RTW) COR Programs. Employers who implement these systems may be eligible for incentives through WorkSafeBC assessments.
How much will an external audit cost?
Each organization will establish a contract with an External Auditor and negotiate the cost.
How much is the financial incentive?
This will depend on the employers’ assessable payroll amount and the current Base Rate for the Classification Unit.
How long does the audit take?
That will depend on the size of the organization. Typically, a municipality with 1,500 employees can expect the on-site audit to take approximately 3 weeks.
In accordance with the COR Policy and Procedures, auditors have 75 days from the start of the audit to complete the final report. Within the 75 days, auditors have 45 days to complete onsite interviews, document reviews, and observations. Following completion of the audit (i.e. the last on-site date), an auditor has 30 days to submit the audit report to the BCMSA to begin the Quality Assurance process. If an Auditor requires additional time to complete the report a Local Government COR Audits Request for Audit Extension Form must be completed and approved by the BCMSA.
How long does certification last?
Certification is valid for three years. Incentives are provided as long as the organization conducts annual reviews of their safety management systems and follows a process of continuous improvement.
How do we qualify for incentives?
In order to be eligible for incentives under the COR program, employers must successfully complete an audit of their health and safety and/or return to work/injury management programs.
How are incentive payments calculated?
The total annual WorkSafeBC incentive will be calculated as a percentage of the base assessment rate from the previous year, multiplied by the organization’s total assessable payroll reported from the previous year.
CALCULATION:
Assessable Payroll ÷ 100 X Base Rate X 10% = incentive payment for OHS COR
EXAMPLE:
$60,000,000 ÷ 100 X $3.83 X $10% = $229,800 annual incentive payment (2024 Base Rate)
