Presumptive Legislation – What does it mean, and why are nurses asking for it?

Press HERE to watch a short 3-minute video on presumptive legislation (trigger warning: includes mental health statistics and mentions suicide)

Presumptive coverage means that the Worker’s Compensation Board will presume that a confirmed psychological or psychiatric injury arose out of and occurred in the course of employment unless there is evidence to the contrary. Presumptive coverage would apply for any psychological diagnosis following exposure to a traumatic incident at work, not just for PTSD. It includes interpersonal relations between a worker and co-workers, management, or customers that may be traumatic when they result in behaviours that are aggressive, threatening, or abusive. There is an acknowledgement that by the nature of your work, you are routinely exposed to traumatic events at work as part of routine job expectations. The traumatic events may be life-threatening, very disturbing, or stressful and can result in symptoms that are debilitating and require treatment to resolve.

The former NDP government had expanded presumptive coverage to all workers.  Presumptive coverage is now limited to firefighters, police officers, peace officers, paramedics, corrections officers, and emergency dispatchers. Presumptive legislation for nurses is a validation that we also experienced violence and trauma and, subsequently, psychological injury. Many provinces have expanded presumptive legislation to include nurses. We are demanding that Alberta follow suit. Without presumptive coverage, our nursing peers are re-traumatized to prove their claims of psychological injury to WCB and often are denied. Access to treatment is delayed or out of reach for those with denied claims. Injured nurses are forced back to work when sick time and benefits dry. If you are hurt at work, you should be entitled to compensation. Not all injuries are visible.

Click HERE for the link to the petition. Petitions must be physically printed and signed. Completed petitions will be collected by Local 196 Secretary Rachel Steel: rsteel@una.ca