Question Period Note: COMPTES PUBLICS DU CANADA 2025 POUR EMPLOI ET DÉVELOPPEMENT SOCIAL CANADA

Why are Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA)
expenditures for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 $32.2M higher than
expenditures for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024 ($281.5M vs $249.3M)?

Given the unpredictability of employees injured or ill in the course of their
employment, it is difficult to forecast the volume and cost of GECA claims
from one fiscal year to the next.
 There has been an increase in mental health claims. The number of claims
increased from 964 in 2022-23 to 1,191 in 2023-24 and to 1,473 in 2024-25.
 From 2022-23 to 2024-25, the number of active claims rose steadily from
22,294 to 23,611, and then to 25,025. Active claims are defined as claims
with costs associated to them within the period

The Government Employees’ Compensation Act (GECA) provides benefits to federal public
sector employees (or their dependants) who suffer an occupational injury or illness arising out of
or in the course of their employment. GECA currently covers approximately 500,000 employees.
The legislation applies to federal departments and agencies, most Crown corporations, and
some parliamentary employers such as the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of
Parliament. It does not apply to regular members of the Canadian Armed Forces or to members
of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (these organizations administer their own workers’
compensation systems).
The GECA is administered by the Labour Program’s Federal Workers’ Compensation Service
(FWCS) in partnership with provincial workers’ compensation boards (WCBs). Business
relationships between the Labour Program and WCBs are governed by bilateral service
agreements.
The GECA also establishes a workers’ compensation regime for locally engaged staff (LES)
abroad. LES may be entitled to compensation under the GECA if they are not otherwise entitled
to compensation under any foreign country workers’ compensation legislation. FWCS processes
and adjudicates GECA claims for LES.

The Labour Program’s Federal Workers’ Compensation Service (FWCS)
administers the Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA).
 The GECA provides federal employees who suffer an occupational illness
or injury, or their dependants, with access to benefits and medical services
through provincial Workers’ Compensation Boards (WCBs).
 In 2024-25, the total GECA claims costs, including administration fees paid
to WCBs, were approximately $281.5M and the recoveries were
approximately $265.4M, resulting in a net cost of approximately $16.1M.
 The 2024-25 costs represent an increase of approximately $1.7M
compared to 2023-24 when there was a net cost of approximately
$14.4M.