Accident while on a student placement

Chubb Insurance of Canada – Chubb Insurance is a private insurance company retained by the Government of Ontario and the University of Ottawa for specific circumstances where WSIB coverage is not available.

Medical care – care provided to a Student Trainee that:

• requires medical attention by a health care professional for which there is a fee for service (this could include a physician, dentist, chiropractor, hospital, etc.)
• results in lost time from work beyond the date of the work-related accident
• requires modified work for more than seven calendar days, and/or
• results in exposure to communicable disease

Placement Coordinator – the uOttawa employee who places the student with the Placement Employer.

Placement Employer – the employer with whom the Student Trainee is placed by a Training Agency to receive training as part of the requirements of his or her Approved Program.

Student Trainee – a student engaged in an Unpaid Work Placement with a Placement Employer.

Training Agency –a postsecondary educational institution. The University of Ottawa is an approved Training Agency. For the purposes of Unpaid Student Placements and this process document, the Placement Coordinator is the representative of the Training Agency.

Unpaid Work Placement –an unpaid work placement that is required as part of an Approved Program offered by a Training Agency. Students receiving social assistance benefits, training allowances, honoraria, reimbursement of expenses and stipend paid to the Trainee are still considered on an Unpaid Work Placement.

Coverage for workplace injuries through the Ministry of College and Universities (MCU) applies to all students in an unpaid placement who meet the eligibility criteria outlined in this document.

Eligible

Student Trainees are eligible to receive MCU-paid WSIA covered benefits (WSIB) or Chubb coverage if the placement meets the following criteria:

• The Placement is unpaid. Students are still eligible for coverage if they receive one or more of the following types of payment:

  • Social assistance benefits
  • Training allowances
  • Honoraira
  • Reimbursement of expenses
  • Stipends of any money paid to the Student Trainee by the Training Agency

• The Placement, which may be required or optional/elective, is part of an Approved Program, includes a formal assessment component, and successful completion of the placement is recognized by the Training Agency for the purpose of the completion of the Approved Program.

• The Placement is authorized by the Training Agency.
• The Placement is a non-classroom activity. Any in-class portion of a training program that occurs at the Training Agency is not an Unpaid Work Placement.
• Student Trainees who attend an unpaid placement outside of Ontario, even if the employer is based in Ontario, will have limited coverage through Chubb given that such placements are outside WSIA legislation. Student Trainees placed at uOttawa will receive limited coverage through a separate policy. The Student Trainee is advised to obtain additional insurance for these instances.

Ineligible

Student Trainees are ineligible for MCU coverage if:

• Student Trainees are paid a salary
• Student Trainees are placed with uOttawa (including unpaid research)
• Student Trainees are participating in the classroom portion of the training program
• International Student Trainees are attending an unpaid placement in the country of their primary residence

Summary

If the Placement Employer has WSIB coverage for their own employees, the Student Trainee will have WSIB coverage through MCU, assuming they meet the eligibility requirements. Please refer to the MCU WSIB Q&A for updates related to COVID-19.

If the Placement Employer does not have WSIB coverage for its own employees, the Student Trainee will have coverage under Chubb, through the MCU, assuming they meet the eligibility requirements. Chubb covers claims associated with accidents for students on unpaid placements but excludes coverage for students carrying out a placement from their home institution (note: uOttawa maintains a parallel policy for these circumstances). Chubb coverage does not include claims resulting from any infection, including COVID-19.  Confirmation of whether the Placement Employer has WSIB coverage will be available from your Placement Coordinator.

1. Example placement agreement
2. Forms
   1. WSIB Form 7
   2. MCU
3. Student orientation checklist
4. Attestation of coverage
5. Student information for coverage