"Countries vary greatly with respect to how they fund workers' compensation systems in terms of the sources of funds, the mechanisms used, and the allocation of system costs among employers and others. These different funding approaches can have significant implications for system performance, including employers' incentives to promote workplace safety. Government officials and other stakeholders have a strong interest in systems in other jurisdictions as they consider improvements to their own schemes. This paper examines the major alternative approaches to funding compensation for work-related injuries and illnesses, their rationales, and their administrative and behavioural consequences. We discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of different systems and the trends toward more refined, actuarially based approaches intended to promote greater equity and efficiency."

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