A dependent contractor is a subcontractor that is completely dependent on your company for work, even though it may have its own legal status and WCB account. In other words, they don’t work for anyone else, they are fully integrated into your day-to-day activities including your safety program, and their employees are treated exactly the same as your employees when it comes to training and safety.
 
As an employer with dependent contractors, this means that you are responsible to ensure that all dependent contractor employees are properly trained and managed for their safety responsibilities and that they are participating in all of your company’s safety-related initiatives. If you are treating any of your contractors or sub-contractors as a dependent, you must include them in your employee count for SAFE Companies registration and for the audit.

Dependent contractors do not register separately for the SAFE Companies program, they do not receive their own SAFE certification, and they are not eligible for any WCB rebates. Only the registered parent company is eligible for these benefits.