Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s (WSIB) targeted audit and enforcement efforts continue to find massive irregularities in the trucking sector and are taking corrective action against major Driver Inc. violators.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted all government audits this past spring, WSIB’s targeted lens on Driver Inc. carriers for noncompliance led to another $2 million in corrective debit adjustments, the Ontario Trucking Association reports. Over half of this total was related to just two companies, who received corrective debit adjustments of nearly $800,000 and $300,000 each.
“At this point, there is absolutely no doubt the industry and the enforcement community know of the Driver Inc. scheme and many of those who have been taking advantage of the system for their own business and personal gain,” says OTA president Stephen Laskowski. “While COVID-19 might have put a temporary pause on Driver Inc enforcement, there is no doubt, as the economy prepares to fully reopen, government audits will resume casting their net to catch many of the noncompliant Driver Inc. operators in our industry.”
To assist the WSIB, OTA is strongly encouraging members and others in the industry to use the anonymous hotline set up by WSIB to inform the agency of suspected Driver Inc. companies.
The WSIB’s confidential tip line is: 1-888-745-3237.
“This tip line has been a productive source of leads, which has led to major assessments. A simple phone call can help clean up the Driver Inc. problem,” said Laskowski. “Let’s give the WSIB a full plate of Driver Inc. audits when they resume their normal audit schedule.”
Before any action is taken by the WSIB on tips it receives, an internal analysis is done to determine the validly of the tip. This step helps ensure the tip line isn’t abused and WSIB can focus its enforcement resources on companies that are truly noncompliant.
OTA, through the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), continues to work with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) on developing similar enforcement actions against Driver Inc carriers for noncompliance with tax and labour laws.