Holiday Greetings 2021
Please note: Our offices will be closed from December 24th, 2021 until January 3rd, 2022. Well, another trip ‘round the sun is almost complete, and what a ride it’s been! Another rollercoaster year of living through a pandemic; working remotely, manning the front lines, social distancing, handwashing, mask-wearing, getting vaccinated, then finally going out again, gathering with friends and family only to brace for the next variant of concern and what havoc it may wreak. COVID-19 all but canceled Christmas last year and this year was looking a little more optimistic until Omicron. ‘Tis the season, maybe this year more than ever… for connecting and catching up, for good food with good friends and family. It is also a time for giving and sharing, a time for thinking of others and of those less fortunate, a time to give thanks for all that we have, and a time to reflect […]
What Should You Be Checking on Your WCB Premium Rate Statement?
If you haven’t seen it already, your Premium Rate Statement has been issued and is available through WCB Alberta online access. It has been and continues to be a time of great uncertainty as we navigate our way through COVID-19, the economic impact of which will be felt for years to come. In 2020 and 2021, many Workers’ Compensation Boards (WCB) across Canada offered WCB premium relief measures to address the financial difficulties facing employers. Although the support was a welcome reprieve, WCB’s nationwide ended up absorbing premium shortfalls in order to maintain rate stability for employers and this is reflected in the premium rate statements currently being issued. Your Premium Rate Statement not only advises you of the WCB Premium rate you have been assessed for the coming year but provides you with the information used to calculate your rate. COVID-19 has changed the way some businesses operate; altered […]
Don’t Fall Into Winter – Keep Your Parking Lots and Walkways Safe
For some people, it’s the most wonderful time of the year but in reality, as we move from Fall into Winter, we enter one of the most hazardous times of the year. The days become shorter, temperatures drop, the ground freezes, winter weather looms and the risk of slips, trips and falls increases at home, play and work. It’s no wonder that November is Fall Protection Month. Falls account for almost 20% of work-related time loss injuries nationwide and are often caused by slips and trips on same level surfaces as opposed to falls from heights. This time of year is especially dangerous as workers navigate their way to and from the workplace, often over snow and ice-covered surfaces. Should a slip, trip, or fall happen while a worker is making their way to or from work it can result in an acceptable workers’ compensation claim. According to most provinces, […]
Mitigating Claims Costs: Underused WCB Policies
As an Alberta employer, did you know that under certain circumstances you can control Workers’ Compensation (WCB) costs by paying your injured worker directly for wage loss and other expenses? According to WCB Policy 04-02, Part II, when an injured worker is directed by the WCB or the Appeals Commission (AC) to attend medical appointments, rehabilitation treatments, and/or WCB sponsored Return To Work (RTW) programs, the WCB may pay the worker allowances to cover any wage loss, travel expenses or subsistence costs. It is important to understand that any payments made by the WCB, become part of the total costs associated with a claim. However, under the above circumstances, if the employer pays the worker for lost wages to attend WCB-directed appointments and directly reimburses their other expenses as identified in the above policy, the costs should not become part of the claim. Why is this important? WCB claim costs […]
Orange Shirt Day: September 30th
This year, September 30, 2021, marks an inaugural statutory holiday in Canada in observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day. It was originally created as a day of observance in 2013 and is designed to educate and promote awareness about the Indian residential school system, and the devastating impact it had on indigenous communities for over a century. In brief, shortly after Confederation, in a misguided attempt to secure Canada as a nation and forge a single Canadian identity, the government of Canada felt it should absorb the First Nations into the general population and essentially extinguish their culture. One of the methods used was to open residential schools, in conjunction with a number of Christian churches, that would separate indigenous children from their parents and culture. The children would effectively be immersed in the ‘new’ Canada, leaving behind their native roots. As a […]