Is a WCB Claim Ever Officially Closed?
Your employee has been injured at work, they’ve received treatment, they’ve recovered, they’ve successfully returned to work and the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) has inactivated their claim but is that claim really closed? Once a worker has recovered from an injury and has returned to their full duties or has reached a medical plateau and is working at their maximum potential, the WCB Alberta sends a letter to the injured worker and their employer outlining what injuries were accepted, the treatment or services provided and the return to work details. The letter also advises that the claim will now be considered inactive. But what happens if a worker develops problems related to their work-related injury after their claim has been inactivated? Unlike private insurance claims, where there are defined time limits in which you can claim benefits, the WCB will always review any new information that is submitted. It does […]
First Aid in the Workplace
First Aid. That’s what it’s called because that’s what it is, the First response to an injury or accident to provide Aid. Accidents aren’t orchestrated, they are opportunistic, unexpected, unplanned events with no way to fully anticipate where and when they will occur. The initial actions taken immediately following an incident are often the most critical in terms of reducing or addressing the severity of an injury or even preventing death. If the first person that responds to a situation has basic first aid training it can improve the odds of a best scenario outcome. It’s why ensuring that every employee has basic first aid training and is able to respond to any injury, accident or emergency that occurs. It is why first aid is the foundation of an effective health and safety management program (HSMP). Although workplace safety regulations and standards for first aid vary by province or territory […]
30 Seconds: National Day of Mourning in Canada
The statistics are startling and disturbing. According to the latest information from 2019, in Canada alone, there were a total of 925 work-related fatalities; that is approximately 3 lives each and every day. That same year, there were 271,806 time loss claims for work-related injury or disease recorded, an increase of 20,000 claims over 2017, suggesting that an acceptable Workers’ Compensation claim occurs every 30 seconds in our country. At this point, essentially every Canadian has been touched by workplace accidents or incidents either directly or by association. Last year, in Alberta, there were 178 deaths that resulted from workplace injuries or illnesses, that’s a work-related fatality every other day. The impact of work-related injuries and occupational diseases can be devastating, not only to the worker but to their families as well. The struggle to put lives back together and figure out how to cope and carry on following a […]
WCB Psychological Claims: A Cautionary Tale for Employers
Once upon a time, there were very strict guidelines for the Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) to consider a psychiatric or psychological injury claim. Essentially, there needed to be a clear correlation to a work-related incident such as a head injury, organic brain damage or an emotional reaction to a traumatic event. Workplace interactions, conflicts and relations were considered to be part of a normal work environment that all workers are subject to. It was further felt that all workers had the option of leaving their job if they were unhappy with their work environment. Prior to November 2000 the WCB defined normal employment pressures and tension as follows: interpersonal relations and conflicts, health and safety concerns, union issues and routine labour relations actions taken by the employer, including workload and deadlines, work evaluation, performance management (discipline), transfers, changes in job duties, lay-offs, demotions, terminations, and reorganizations, to which all […]
COVID-19: One Year Later
We’ve all been doing the COVID-19 dance for a year now and wow how quickly our world changed! Despite all we’ve lost, all we have suffered and all we have sacrificed, we have also experienced some remarkable change, resilience and innovation. We have come together, as a nation and as a society to fight a common, albeit somewhat invisible, foe. Virtually, every business sector has felt the impact of the pandemic in one way or another. Offices shut their doors immediately and then scrambled to figure out how to operate their business with staff working from home. Restaurants and fast food chains had to adapt from relying on dining in to take-out and delivery. Grocery stores and retail outlets shifted to on-line ordering, home delivery and curbside pick-up. Essential services that remained open had to modify their operations with the implementation of PPE, social distancing, plexiglass partitions and restrictions on who and how […]