Case Study: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) achieves improved decision-making and return-to-work outcomes with SAS

WSIB enters second century with advanced analytics

Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), a century-old organization that manages workplace insurance for Ontario, faced a major challenge when benefit costs rose by 60% between 1999 and 2009 (to $3.2B) even as injury claims fell by 40% and employment grew. Longer claim durations and rising dependency on benefits signaled a broken business model and the need to modernize operations and focus on health outcomes rather than just claims processing.

WSIB established an advanced analytics program using SAS tools—data mining, predictive modeling and time-series forecasting—plus a dedicated analytics and data-governance team. Models identified key drivers of claim duration (for example, non‑English/French speakers), prompting targeted interventions like vocation-based ESL and expanded reintegration services, and produced reliable 12‑month forecasts used for planning. The result: better-informed strategic decisions, improved operational efficiency, higher-quality client service and more effective resource allocation.

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

Eugene Wen

Vice President and Chief Statistician