WSIB Cuts the 2027 Average Premium Rate to $1.18: What It Means for Ontario Dealerships

On October 22, 2026, the WSIB announced that the average premium rate for Ontario businesses will drop to $1.18 per $100 of insurable earnings in 2027, down from $1.23 in 2026. Individual 2027 rate statements arrive in November, so the useful work for Ontario dealerships starts now: finding out what your own rate looks like and getting it into the 2027 budget.

What did WSIB announce for 2027?

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will lower the average premium rate to $1.18 per $100 of insurable earnings for 2027. That compares with $1.23 in 2026 and $2.35 in 2018. WSIB says Ontario’s average rate will now sit almost 30 per cent below the national average, and that the reduction leaves $160 million in Ontario’s economy.

WSIB President and CEO Jeffery Lang said the board is helping over 80 per cent of businesses receive a rate cut. That is a large majority but not every employer, so your own statement is the thing to check rather than the headline.

Why does the premium rate matter for dealership budgets?

WSIB premiums are calculated as a rate per $100 of insurable earnings, which means the cost moves with payroll. Every technician, advisor and sales hire adds to the base the rate is applied to. For a multi-store group, even a few cents on the rate is a line worth getting right in the 2027 plan.

Does my dealership pay the average rate?

Not exactly. The $1.18 figure is an average across Ontario businesses. Your premium is shaped by the industry classification WSIB assigns to your business and by your own claims experience, so a group with a service department, a body shop and a sales floor can land above or below the provincial average. The individual 2027 statement is the number that counts.

What does a five-cent drop look like on payroll?

At the average rate, the arithmetic is straightforward. Every $1 million of insurable earnings costs$12,300 in premiums at $1.23 and $11,800 at $1.18, a difference of $500. For a group with $8 million in insurable earnings, that works out to $4,000 at the average rate.

Treat those figures as an illustration only. Your actual rate will differ from the average, and WSIB sets a maximum insurable earnings amount per worker that caps the earnings used in the calculation, so confirm the 2027 figure on WSIB’s site before you model it.

When will I see my 2027 rate?

WSIB says businesses can access their individual 2027 premium rate statements exclusively through its website starting in November. HR Reporter reports the new average rate takes effect January 1, 2027. If your 2027 budget locks before your statement is available, use the average-rate change as a placeholder and revise once your own number arrives.

How can a dealership keep its own rate moving in the right direction?

The announcement points to two WSIB resources worth a look:

Health and Safety Excellence program.

‍WSIB says Ontario businesses can earn rebates for completing topics related to mental stress, injury prevention and return-to-work support. It reports that small businesses in the program earn rebates of $9,000 on average per year, and large businesses an average of $40,000.

CCOHS Business Safety Portal.

‍Every WSIB-registered business gets free access to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety’s portal.

Return to work deserves a place in your HR process too. WSIB reports that almost 9 out of 10 people who miss work because of an injury return within three months. A clear, documented return-to-work process at the store level makes it easier to get a technician or advisor back on the floor with the right supports.

This is where HR4 helps. Using the return-to-work plan template in HR4 Forms, a manager at any store can document modified duties, restrictions and check-in dates in the same format every time, and the record stays attached to the employee file. When a claim comes up, the paperwork is already in one place instead of spread across store inboxes.

What should dealership HR teams do this month?

1. Pull your 2026 WSIB statement. Note your current rate and insurable earnings so you have a baseline to compare against.

2. Flag the November release. Make sure your controller or payroll lead knows when the 2027 statements become available.

3. Check payroll reporting by store. Confirm the insurable earnings you report match your payroll records.

4. Confirm program enrolment. See whether your group is in the Health and Safety Excellence program and what rebate topics are open to you.

5. Put return to work in writing. Set up the return-to-work plan template in HR4 Forms so every store documents modified duties the same way.

6. Update the 2027 budget. Replace the place holder with your actual rate once the statement lands.

Does this apply outside Ontario?

No. This announcement is about Ontario’s WSIB. Other provinces run their own workers’ compensation boards with their own rates and timelines, so groups with stores in more than one province need to track each one separately.

HR4 supports over 1,000 rooftops across Canada and the US with HR and compliance. If you want help keeping provincial changes like this one organized across your stores, we are happy to talk.