10 Things to Check on Your 2020 WCB Premium Rate Statement
In case you missed it, your 2020 WCB Premium Rate Statements have been issued. This statement not only advises you of the WCB Premium rate you have been assessed for the coming year but also provides you with the information used to calculate your rate. According to current information, WCB 2020 premium rates in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan will remain the same or drop from the 2019 levels, while Alberta will see a slight increase. The rate-setting process is complex and even the smallest change in the data used can have a significant impact on the amount of premiums you pay. Therefore, it is important to consider the following questions while reviewing your statement: Is your Company name/address correct? Have your operations or business changed? Are you classified in the most appropriate Industry? Has your Industry Code changed? Are you being assessed a surcharge? For Alberta employers, are you […]
Safety Tips for the Holidays
As November draws to a close, and December rapidly approaches, the retail and hospitality industries are kicking into high gear. The Festive Season comes with its own unique set of risks and hazards, not just in the retail and hospitality sectors, virtually every business will be impacted in some way over the holidays. Now is as good a time as any to make sure you and your staff stay safe and healthy through the next few weeks. As your organization prepares for the holidays, here are some potential health and safety risks to keep in mind: Seasonal Hires – many businesses require temporary help to meet the increased demands of the holiday season. Seasonal workers are at high risk for workplace accidents and injuries just like any new hire, possibly more. Since their employment is temporary, things like safe practices, accident reporting procedures and performance issues can be glossed over, […]
How Does the WCB Use Benefit of Doubt in Adjudicating Claims?
Although the large majority of Workers’ Compensation (WCB) claims are straightforward and easily adjudicated there are situations that are more contentious such as: unwitnessed accidents, injuries reported long after they occurred, employers contesting the validity of a claim, or non-compensable factors impacting a worker’s recovery Adjudication of these claims becomes problematic for the WCB as they try to make decisions based on little or no evidence in some instances and a plethora of conflicting information in others. In an attempt to address this, the WCB established Policy 01-03, Part I, Benefit of Doubt, which reads, in part: A worker is not required to provide proof beyond any reasonable doubt in support of a claim for compensation. Adjudication is determined on the balance of probabilities, based on all the facts. If, however, there is doubt on any issue because the evidence is approximately equal in supporting one or more decisions, WCB […]
WCB Alberta Employer Policy Review: Support Services
On October 1st, 2019, the Workers’ Compensation Board of Alberta (WCB) announced that it was entering Phase 2 of a high-level review of Employer accounts and premium policies and was looking for feedback, ideas and suggestions until December 2, 2019. Of particular interest to some Alberta employers are changes to Policy 07-01, Part II, Application 1, regarding businesses providing support services to an industry and how that business is classified. The WCB is proposing the following addition to the current policy: How does WCB classify a business providing support services to an industry? Businesses providing coordination, marketing, management or administration of a specific service which generates revenue from another business, will be classified in the industry it supports. For example, a fast food franchisor that provides only administration services will be classified in the restaurant industry. While this may seem to make sense at first glance, the reality is that […]
Late Reporting: Employer Impact
In a perfect world, work-related accidents should never happen. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world and workers get injured on the job every day. How work-related injuries are handled can have a significant impact not only on the injured worker but on employers as well. It is widely accepted that the information obtained closest to any incident is likely the most accurate and work-related accidents are no exception. Prompt accident reporting by workers can result in better medical treatment, faster recovery times and lower claims costs. Delays can impede the claim’s process and are problematic for employers by limiting their ability to: validate the accident occurred detail the chain of events confirm there were no intervening factors or events between the date of accident (DOA) and the date of reporting (DOR) that contributed to the severity of the injury investigate the circumstances surrounding a work-related accident from a […]