Client Relations Officer Message

Deanna Harnish
Client Relations Officer

WCB Nova Scotia

In my second year serving as the WCB’s Client Relations Officer, it has been my privilege to connect with workers and employers across Nova Scotia, to hear and address their inquiries about the WCB’s programs and services.

As Client Relations Officer, I respond to questions and concerns, document and investigate complaints, and seek to resolve issues, working closely with the WCB’s service delivery teams. While I bring focus to service issues, it is not within my purview to resolve them, and I therefore engage with service delivery managers to enable action and resolution. I report to the Board of Directors regularly about the volume and nature of inquiries received by my office.

In 2022, the Client Relations Office received 230 inquiries, primarily from MLAs. I also documented and followed up on 103 complaints, most of which were submitted by people injured at work, related to issues of timeliness, communication, and appeals. Upon review, I found 42 of these complaints to be substantiated and seven to be partially substantiated.  While the total number of inquiries received was lower again in 2022, the number of complaints is generally consistent with those documented in previous years.

Throughout the year, I had the opportunity to visit with all MLA offices across Nova Scotia, and to meet the dedicated people who serve constituents and help them resolve issues or access needed services. Together, we have established a collaborative approach that is supporting their efforts on behalf of the people we both serve.

I was also pleased to be able to make new connections with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman, and with other Fair Practice Officers at WCBs across Canada, to build understanding and to share insights and information about our work.

In the year ahead, I look forward to meeting and working with more of the dedicated people across the workplace safety and insurance system and in Government who help to connect workers and workplaces with tools and resources that are helping more Nova Scotians stay safe, healthy and at work.

 

Deanna Harnish