The workers compensation system is an injury and disability insurance system for workers and employers, paid for by employers. The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba was founded in 1916 with the passing of The Workers Compensation Act and officially opened in 1917. The program is the result of a Canadian compromise struck in the early twentieth century and maintained to this day – injured workers gave up the right to sue their employers in exchange for guaranteed no-fault benefits in the event of a work related injury or illness, and employers agreed to pay for the system, in exchange for protection against lawsuits.