Well there are two aspects to that. First of all, in B.C. at least, massage parlours, steam baths, and escort agencies are already included in coverage as part of the leisure industry. Their base rate is 50 cents per $100 in assessable payroll to a maximum wage per worker of $77,900. I haven't conducted a wide-ranging study of how that compares, but that's a fairly high premium rate for that.
So if you were to count in all of the other forms of prostitution—and it's not just violence. There's post-traumatic stress disorder, mental disorders. There are repetitive strain type injuries. There's pregnancy. Those are all occupation-related hazards of the business. So it wouldn't just be the violence, which in itself is horrific.
So yes, the rates in my submission would go through the roof. They would be borne by these women who are independent contractors who are actually subject to a different scheme. They have to apply separately and their rates are even higher within the current system, so they would have to do that.
But compliance is a problem and it's simply that people aren't complying with the law as it is. The cost of compliance will actually be a deterrence, especially for the vulnerable women, to go ahead and try to get that protection even if they could.