Policy 21-103 Conditions for Entitlement – Traumatic Mental Stress

What is the policy about?

Policy 21-103 Conditions for Entitlement – Traumatic Mental Stress deals with claims for traumatic psychological injuries (TPI). The policy provides information on:

• The entitlement conditions for the acceptance of a TPI claim;
• What qualifies as a traumatic event;
• The diagnostic criteria used to make a diagnosis and who is qualified to diagnose a worker; and
• The circumstances in which WorkSafeNB will apply the legislated post-traumatic stress disorder presumption.

Why is the policy being reviewed?

Policy 21-103 Conditions for Entitlement – Traumatic Mental Stress is being reviewed to:

• Provide clarity on what is considered to be a traumatic event; and
• Establish in policy how WorkSafeNB determines date of accident for TPI claims.

What is the nature of the changes?

The proposed changes bring clarification and consistency within the policy and with current business practices, including:

• More information around determining date of accident in TPI claims; and
• Added clarity around the diagnostic criteria associated with experiencing a traumatic event.

The goal of this consultation is to gather stakeholder feedback on the proposed revisions to Policy 21-103 Conditions for Entitlement – Traumatic Mental Stress.

You can see the current policy, proposed revisions, and an explanation of the revisions here.

Note: This proposed policy aligns with WorkSafeNB’s current legislation, which limits entitlement for stress to that which is the result of an acute reaction to a traumatic event that occurred at work. While the possible expansion of entitlement for work-related stress is not captured in this consultation, there may be opportunity to do so in the future as part of our regular legislative review process.

Deadline is October 9, 2025.