The Certificate of Recognition program (COR) is a nationally recognized, time-tested program that has recently been expanded to the tourism and hospitality industry and go2 is the industry COR certifying partner, by agreement with WorkSafeBC. Participation in the COR program is voluntary and offers many incentives for employers. Certification enhances your organization’s health and safety program while rewarding you financially for meeting certain benchmarks.

The COR program provides monetary incentives to employers who go beyond the legal requirements of the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation by taking the "best practice" approach to implementing health and safety programs and return-to-work programs.

There are two types of certificate you can apply for: the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) COR and the Return-to-Work (RTW) / Injury Management COR. Successful completion of each program offers both concrete and intangible benefits for you as an employer.

4 Benefits of COR Certification

• Certified companies can receive up to a 15% financial incentive based on WorkSafeBC premiums.
  • Successful completion of the Occupational Health and Safety COR qualifies you for an annual 10% incentive on your WorkSafeBC base premiums. 
  • Successful completion of the Return-to-Work COR qualifies you for an additional 5% incentive on your base premiums each year. *(The OHS COR is a prerequisite for the RTW COR.)

For example, in 2013, a hotel with a $3 million annual payroll pays $53,700 in WorkSafeBC premiums. By successfully achieving COR status in both OHS and RTW, the annual incentive would be $8,055.

Calculate Your Potential Incentive
Total Payroll per Year x Your WorkSafe Base Rate / $100 of Assessable Payroll x 15% = YOUR INCENTIVE PER YEAR

• It demonstrates your company's commitment to a healthy and safe culture. 
• It is a unique selling proposition in the recruitment of new employees.
• It improves employee morale and retention.

Costs are minimal

While the costs associated with participating in the program depend on the size of your company, the overall costs of the COR program are not onerous. They include:

• External auditing fees, capped at $500 per day, plus negotiated expenses
• The cost of training your internal auditor
• The ongoing maintenance of your programs

What you will find in this section:

An explanation of how the COR program works, and how participation can benefit your company whether yours has a multi-million dollar payroll or is a small company with a correspondingly small staff.

• Frequently Asked Questions
• How to Achieve a Certification of Recognition
• COR for Large Employers (20 or more employees)
• COR for Small Employers (fewer than 20 employees) — not currently available. Please contact us for more information.
• Return-to-Work Program
• COR Administrative Documents
• The Role of COR Auditors
• Finding an External Auditor
• Internal Auditor Training Information