Staff Report #3
March 30, 2026
To All Commissioners
Re: 2025 Attendance and Disability Management Programs
Recommendation
That the report be RECEIVED for information.
Background
Attendance and disability management remain core operational and financial priorities for London Transit. In a workforce shaped by demographic pressures, evolving legislative requirements, and increasing medical complexity, attendance outcomes directly affect service reliability, employee well-being, and responsible use of public resources.
London Transit monitors attendance across distinct categories of lost time, including Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Work-Related Disability, and Other Lost Time. These categories are managed under different legislative and program frameworks, including insurance plan provisions and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. Legislated and contractual Leaves of Absence are tracked separately, as they arise from statutory or negotiated entitlements rather than attendance management programs, but they continue to influence overall workforce availability.
Overall attendance levels in 2025 remained stable relative to the three-year reporting period. Short-Term Disability duration declined, Work-Related Disability lost time continued to decrease, and Long-Term Disability pressures remained driven primarily by duration rather than incidence.
This report reviews attendance outcomes for 2025, outlines multi-year trends, and identifies key areas of focus to support operational sustainability.
| Summary of All Lost Time – Average Days Per Employee 2023-2025 | |||||
| Year | Short Term Disability | Work-Related Disability | Long Term Disability | Other Lost Time | Total |
| 2023 | 7.9 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 7.1 | 16.6 |
| 2024 | 10.2 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 6.2 | 17.8 |
| 2025 | 8.6 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 6.6 | 17.0 |
Short-Term Disability
Short-Term Disability (STD) reflects medically supported absences due to non-work-related illness or injury. Consecutive-day absences meeting eligibility criteria are managed through the STD program, which serves as the primary framework for tracking and supporting illness-related absence.
The program emphasizes early intervention, timely medical clarification, and coordinated return-to-work planning. Functional abilities information and, where feasible, modified duties are used to support safe and sustainable reintegration.
Employees have access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) and Peer Support services, which provide confidential assistance and navigation support as appropriate.
| Short-Term Disability and Employment Insurance (1) Lost Time 2023-2025 | ||||||||
| Year | Operations | Fleet & Facilities | Admin & Mgmt | Total | ||||
| Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | |
| 2023 | 4,416 | 7.6 | 1,453 | 12.4 | 171 | 2.4 | 5,770 | 7.9 |
| 2024 | 5,137 | 11.6 | 843 | 6.9 | 415 | 5.5 | 7,395 | 10.2 |
| 2025 | 5,180 | 9.8 | 645 | 5.5 | 344 | 4.8 | 6,169 | 8.6 |
| (1) under the wage replacement program, employees have a period between eligibility for STD benefits and LTD benefits which they are eligible for Employment Insurance sick benefits | ||||||||
STD activity was elevated in 2023 relative to prior years, reflecting residual impacts from the pandemic period. In 2024, the average lost time per employee was 10.2 days. In 2025, this declined to 8.6 days per employee, while claim volume remained stable at 246 claims. The reduction reflects shorter average durations, not fewer absences. STD lost time declined across all departments in 2025.
Claim composition data provided through insurer reporting reflects gradual shifts from 2023 through 2025. Musculoskeletal conditions remained the largest category, increasing from approximately 18.0% of claims in 2023 to 19.4% in 2024 and 22.4% in 2025. Respiratory-related claims also increased in 2025, accounting for 19.5% of claims.
Mental health-related claims represented approximately 12% of STD claims across the three-year period. While incidence has remained proportionally stable, these claims are generally associated with longer durations. Extended Health Care reporting indicates continued increases in utilization of psychological services.
Infectious and parasitic disease claims declined significantly from 13.8% of claims in 2023 to 4.1% in 2025, reflecting normalization following pandemic-influenced reporting periods.
Overall, STD claim frequency stabilized following elevated 2023 utilization, with 2025 trends reflecting shorter durations and continued concentration in musculoskeletal, respiratory, and mental health-related conditions.
Long-Term Disability
Long-Term Disability (LTD) reflects medically supported absences in which employees are unable to return to regular duties following a period of STD and require ongoing medical management and accommodation planning. These cases often involve chronic physical conditions, mental health-related disabilities, or multi-factor medical limitations requiring sustained intervention.
| Long-Term Disability (1) Lost Time 2023-2025 | ||||||||
| Year | Operations | Fleet & Facilities | Admin & Mgmt | Total | ||||
| Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | |
| 2023 | 425 | 0.8 | 320 | 2.7 | 37 | 0.5 | 782 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 363 | 0.7 | 191 | 1.6 | 263 | 3.5 | 817 | 1.1 |
| 2025 | 963 | 1.8 | 166 | 1.4 | 16 | 0.2 | 1,145 | 1.6 |
| (1) Cases where COD has been approved and no likelihood of RTW are not included in the above Stats | ||||||||
LTD activity averaged 1.1 days per employee in both 2023 and 2024 before increasing to 1.6 days per employee in 2025. While LTD represents a relatively small portion of total lost time, the increase reflects longer average durations rather than a material shift in incidence. Active cases increased gradually over the three-year period, with open claims rising from 19 in 2023 to 23 in 2024 and 25 in 2025.
Across diagnostic categories, LTD cases remain concentrated in chronic musculoskeletal and mental health-related conditions. These conditions are typically associated with extended recovery timelines and more complex accommodation planning. The interaction of chronic physical limitations and psychological factors can further influence recovery, particularly in operational roles with higher physical demands.
The increase in 2025 LTD lost time was concentrated primarily within Operations, while other classifications remained stable or declined. This reflects differences in job demands and the feasibility of accommodations rather than a broad organizational shift.
Overall, LTD trends from 2023 through 2025 demonstrate stable incidence with increasing duration of exposure, reinforcing the importance of early engagement, medical clarification, and coordinated return-to-work planning.
LTD cases are managed through a coordinated Return to Work program administered by London Transit and, where applicable, the insurance carrier, with union involvement where warranted. Medical clarification is obtained through Functional Abilities assessments and Independent Medical Evaluations to support informed decisions regarding work capacity, restrictions, and accommodation needs. Where return to regular duties is not feasible, employees may be supported through long-term medical placement planning, including modified or permanent accommodation aligned with functional abilities and operational requirements.
LTD cases are supported through the same EFAP, Peer Support services, and external clinical supports described in the Short-Term Disability section, with a focus on sustained recovery, functional improvement, and long-term employment sustainability.
Insurance Carrier Experience – Workforce Health Trends
Insurer reporting from 2023 through 2025 provides additional context regarding workforce health patterns. While disability data reflects absence outcomes, extended health and drug utilization trends provide insight into underlying health drivers.
Mental health-related services remained a sustained area of utilization, indicating continued demand for psychological support. Chronic musculoskeletal conditions, chronic pain, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions also remained prevalent themes, aligning with disability patterns.
Prescription drug trends reflect ongoing management of chronic conditions across the covered population. While utilization does not directly correlate with disability incidence, it provides context on overall medical complexity that may influence recovery timelines.
Overall, insurer reporting aligns with internal absence data, reinforcing that duration and medical complexity remain central factors in disability outcomes.
Work-Related Disability
Work-related disability reflects absences arising from injuries or illnesses that occur in the course of employment and are managed within the LTC’s workplace health and safety program and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). These cases require a coordinated approach that balances prevention, employee recovery, safe return to work, and statutory compliance.
Work-related absences are managed with a focus on prevention, early reporting, and timely return-to-work planning to minimize the duration and impact of lost time. Prevention activities are guided by the Health and Safety Annual Work Program and informed by incident trends, hazard assessments, and input from the Joint Health and Safety Committees.
Cases are managed through a coordinated Return to Work program administered by London Transit in collaboration with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, with union involvement where appropriate. Functional Abilities information and employer-sponsored medical clarification are used to support informed decisions regarding work capacity, accommodation, and the identification of suitable modified or alternate work when employees are unable to return to their pre-injury or pre-illness positions. This collaborative approach supports early and safe reintegration to work and helps reduce the risk of prolonged absence.
Employees also have access to EFAP, Peer Support resources, and other supports as described earlier in this report to assist recovery and support sustained return-to-work outcomes.
| Workplace Job-Related Injuries/Illness (1) Lost Time 2023-2025 | ||||||||
| Year | Operations | Fleet& Facilities | Admin & Mgmt | Total | ||||
| Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | |
| 2023 | 359 | 0.7 | 50 | 0.4 | – | – | 408 | 0.6 |
| 2024 | 117 | 0.2 | 67 | 0.5 | 21 | 0.3 | 205 | 0.3 |
| 2025 | 60 | 0.1 | 88 | 0.8 | 16 | 0.2 | 164 | 0.2 |
| (1) Cases, where there is no likelihood of RTW are not included in the above stats | ||||||||
In 2025, Work-Related Disability lost time declined to an average of 0.2 days per employee, the lowest level over the three-year reporting period.
Work-related lost time remained concentrated within operational and maintenance environments, while support staff and management classifications continued to experience minimal impact.
Overall, the 2025 results indicate continued progress in managing work-related disability through prevention, early reporting, and coordinated return-to-work practices, contributing to reduced lost time and improved safety outcomes.
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) – Performance Context
London Transit’s work-related disability outcomes must be considered within the WSIB rate framework, which evaluates employer performance over a multi-year, retrospective period. WSIB premiums are driven primarily by claim cost and duration relative to the urban transit rate group, rather than by short-term changes in claim frequency.
While work-related lost-time has declined, WSIB premium outcomes continue to reflect higher-cost, longer-duration claims from prior accident years that remain within the rate-setting window. As seen across the transit sector, psychological injury claims associated with workplace violence or traumatic exposure are a significant cost driver due to longer recovery timelines and greater case complexity.
Other Lost Time (Non-Disability Absences)
Other Lost Time includes single-day absences, short multi-day absences, and absences associated with unapproved Short-Term or Long-Term Disability claims. As a result, it captures a broad mix of absence types and is inherently more variable than disability-related lost time. This category excludes statutory Leaves of Absence under the Employment Standards Act (ESA), which are tracked and reported separately.
These absences are managed through several complementary processes. The Attendance Management Program addresses non-culpable absences and includes a medical stream to identify employees with intermittent or emerging medical issues and redirect them to appropriate supports where warranted. The Culpable Absenteeism Program applies where attendance concerns are within the employee’s control, typically unrelated to illness or injury, or where absences occur without seeking or receiving appropriate supervisory approval. Attendance data is also regularly reviewed to identify emerging patterns and trends that may require early outreach for management.
| Other Lost Time – No STD, LTD or WSIB Benefits Payable 2023-2025 | ||||||||
| Year | Operations | Fleet & Facilities | Admin & Mgmt | Total | ||||
| Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | Total Days | Avg. Per Employee | |
| 2023 | 3,934 | 7.2 | 1,053 | 9.0 | 299 | 4.3 | 5,286 | 7.2 |
| 2024 | 3,811 | 7.2 | 327 | 2.7 | 336 | 4.5 | 4,474 | 6.2 |
| 2025 | 3,671 | 6.9 | 631 | 5.4 | 436 | 6.1 | 4,738 | 6.6 |
In 2025, Other Lost Time averaged 6.6 days per employee, a modest increase from 6.2 days in 2024 and consistent with levels observed earlier in the reporting period. Over the three-year period, results have remained relatively stable, reflecting the episodic and variable nature of absences captured in this category rather than a sustained change in attendance behaviour.
Overall, 2025 results indicate that Other Lost Time continues to be effectively managed through consistent application of attendance management processes, trend monitoring, and appropriate escalation, while ensuring that absences are reviewed and redirected into the appropriate disability or support programs when eligibility criteria are met.
Return to Work Program
Across all disability-related categories, effective Return to Work (RTW) practices are critical to managing absence duration, supporting employee recovery, and maintaining operational stability. The following section outlines London Transit’s RTW program and its role within the broader attendance and disability management framework.
London Transit’s RTW Program is a core component of disability management and is designed to support early, safe, and sustainable reintegration to work while meeting legislative and Collective Agreement obligations.
The program focuses on reducing time away from work through early medical clarification, individualized accommodation planning, and structured reintegration. Where employees are unable to immediately resume full duties, modified or temporary alternate work may be used, where operationally feasible, to support recovery and maintain connection to the workplace, with the objective of returning employees to full and regular duties when medically possible.
London Transit’s RTW Program operates within the duty to accommodate under the Ontario Human Rights Code and in accordance with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. Participation supports employee recovery and income stability while also assisting the organization in managing overtime, replacement costs, and disability-related expenses.
In 2025, rehabilitation-related costs associated with London Transit’s RTW Program were approximately $318,000. These costs are monitored as part of overall disability management and are viewed as an investment in reducing lost time and limiting the duration of longer-term disability.
Leave of Absence – Statutory and Contractual
Statutory and contractual Leaves of Absence (LOA) arise from legislated and negotiated entitlements under the ESA, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and applicable Collective Agreement provisions. These leaves are reported separately and are not included in the attendance and disability lost-time statistics summarized elsewhere in this report, as they represent job-protected rights rather than attendance-related absences. As such, LOAs are not subject to attendance management or culpable absenteeism processes.
Since 2020, successive amendments to the ESA have expanded both the scope and duration of protected leave entitlements available to employees, contributing to increased utilization compared to the pre-pandemic period.
In 2025, total LOA utilization increased to an average of 5.8 days per employee, compared to 4.1 days in 2024 and 4.7 days in 2023. Total LOA days increased to 4,194 in 2025, up from 3,007 days in 2024 and 3,418 days in 2023.
Operations accounted for the largest share, averaging 6.6 days per employee in 2025. Fleet and Facilities also experienced increased utilization at 5.9 days per employee, while Administrative and Management classifications remained low and stable, averaging 0.3 days per employee.
The increase in LOA utilization is consistent with continued legislative expansion and increased awareness and use of statutory leave entitlements, including longer-duration protected leaves such as Long-Term Illness Leave. These trends reflect structural changes in the legislative framework rather than concerns about attendance performance.
While excluded from attendance and disability performance metrics, LOAs have direct operational impacts. Extended job-protected absences increase the need for temporary backfill, contribute to scheduling volatility, and may increase overtime exposure, particularly in front-line service areas.
In response, London Transit continues to apply proactive workforce planning measures, including complement adjustments where operationally warranted. While the employer cannot influence the frequency or duration of ESA-protected leaves, ongoing monitoring and planning remain essential to managing their operational impact while maintaining full compliance with statutory and contractual obligations.
Cost of Non-Attendance
The cost of non-attendance is assessed across three interrelated areas: productivity impacts (lost productive hours and workload redistribution), administrative impacts (time required to manage absences and scheduling adjustments), and financial impacts (increased employee complement, overtime utilization, and employee benefit costs).
Based on these factors, the estimated annual cost of non-attendance ranges from $2.7 to $3.6 million, representing approximately 5% of the $66.8 million annual personnel expenditure, which includes wages and employee benefit costs. Personnel costs account for approximately 58.5% of the $114.1 million total operating budget for conventional and specialized transit services combined.
Given the nature of public transit operations, approximately 80% of non-attendance is managed through increased employee complement, with the remaining balance addressed through overtime or, in limited circumstances, not replaced. This reflects the requirement to maintain scheduled service delivery, particularly within Bus Operator classifications, where absences have a direct, immediate impact on service.
Decisions regarding the use of additional staffing versus overtime are informed by service requirements, the timing and duration of absences, operational capacity to cover work assignments, cost-efficiency considerations, legislative requirements, and impacts on employee fatigue and well-being.
An annual assessment of the staffing complement is undertaken across the organization, with particular focus on Bus Operators to ensure service obligations are met, same-day absences are managed, and reliance on overtime is limited while maintaining service reliability.
Actions and Ongoing Focus to Support Workforce Availability
Attendance trends from 2023 through 2025 indicate that duration, rather than incidence, remains the primary driver of operational exposure. Accordingly, organizational focus in 2026 will center on reducing duration risk, strengthening early intervention, and sustaining workforce capacity in operational roles.
Duration management will remain a central priority. Continued emphasis will be placed on early engagement, timely medical clarification, and proactive return-to-work planning, particularly in cases at risk of transition from STD to LTD. Identifying feasible modified duties earlier in the absence cycle will be critical to limiting prolonged exposure.
The RTW Program remains a core operational strategy. Efforts will continue to identify safe and meaningful work opportunities that support recovery while maintaining connection to the workplace. Although accommodation options are limited in our work environment, sustained focus on early planning remains essential.
Workforce planning remains a key strategy. Targeted hiring has increased complement in critical bargaining unit classifications, particularly Bus Operators, where both disability-related absences and statutory leaves have the greatest operational impact. Maintaining an appropriate complement reduces reliance on overtime, supports fatigue management, and improves scheduling stability.
Mental health resiliency and early support access also remain important contributors to attendance sustainability. Increased visibility of Peer Support and ongoing promotion of EFAP services will continue to encourage early engagement and reduce related stigma.
Collectively, these actions reflect a focused approach centred on duration control, operational stability, and responsible stewardship of public resources, while maintaining compliance with legislative and collective agreement requirements.
Recommended by:
Julie Hall, Manager of Human Resources
Joanne Galloway, Director of Human Resources
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager