What is a Certificate of Recognition and How to Prepare for a COR Audit?
A Certificate of Recognition (COR) is a key component of the Partnership in Injury Reduction (PIR) program in Alberta and is essential to receiving WCB Alberta premium reduction incentives. The PIR is a voluntary program where employer and worker representatives collaborate with government to create and maintain effective health and safety management systems. A COR is awarded to employers to who develop and maintain health and safety programs that meet standards established by Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). The management system is evaluated by a Certifying Partner of PIR, also known as a COR Audit, and if the standards are met, a COR is then issued by Alberta Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour and co-signed by the Certifying Partner. Developing a health and safety management system may seem harder than it is. Most employers already have the basic foundation in place and only need to tweak or enhance established policies […]
WCB Alberta Employer Rebates: Are You Missing Out?
Last month, the WCB Alberta announced a surplus funding of $467 million that will be distributed to Alberta employers. According to a 2014 Calgary Herald article, 2013 marks the sixth time in the last 10 years that the WCB Alberta has declared and distributed a surplus, factor in rebates in 2014 and 2015, and it becomes the eighth time in 12 years. In the past three years alone, almost $1.5 billion dollars has been paid out to Alberta employers, prompting the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) to publish a paper urging the WCB Alberta to issue refunds at a more reasonable threshold. Surplus funding occurs when the WCB premiums collected from employers are invested and there is a higher-than-expected return on that investment and/or there is a lower-than-expected amount of claims and claims costs for the year. When the funding pool exceeds more than 128% of anticipated amount to […]
How to Determine the Cost of WCB Premiums for Your Business: 7 Things You Need to Know
Workers’ compensation is a form of ‘no fault’ insurance for workers injured on the job. It has been a part of the Alberta labour workforce since 1918 when the Workers’ Compensation Act was established. Essentially, employers agreed to pay into a fund that would be used to cover the costs associated with a work-related injury or illness and in return, workers gave up their right to sue their employers as a result of getting sick or hurt on the job. The fund was set up similar to an insurance policy where employers pay annual premiums to the WCB and workers file a claim with the WCB if they were injured as a result of their employment. The premiums collected, managed by the WCB, would then be used to cover the medical expenses, wage loss and other associated claims costs related to the injury. How much employers pay in WCB premiums […]
Workers’ Compensation Lawsuit Settlements Explained
On the night of February 26, 2014, a charter plane carrying a number of local government workers crashed on the Hawaiian Island of Lanai, killing three people and seriously injuring three more. All six were deemed workers; and as a result, workers’ compensation claims were opened, approved and benefits issued accordingly. On May 2, 2014, a third-party lawsuit was filed against the responsible airline, Maui Air, which remains in litigation. An article, published in The Maui News on March 19, 2016, quoted one crash survivor addressing the Maui County Council, asking them to allow the survivors and the families of the deceased to be awarded all of the settlement money from the lawsuit with the airline. By law, worker’s compensation is set up to be the first payor in the event of a work-related accident or injury, regardless of any other coverage or benefits that may be available to the […]
Annual WCB Payroll Return Reporting
It’s that time of year, the annual WCB payroll return reporting is here again. Just a friendly reminder to our clients and all other employers in Alberta that you are required to report your worker’s insurable earnings paid in the current year along with an estimate of what earnings you expect to pay in the upcoming year. The deadline for filing is February 28, 2015. You can find out more about what is needed and how to file properly here. Reporting your annual payroll information is key to ensuring the correct WCB-Alberta coverage is in place. Payroll information is only part of the formula used to determine your WCB premiums which includes your industry classification, your experience rating plan, your employer experience ratio, participation factor and eligibility factor. Based on overall operations, employers are assigned an industry classification and then assessed the applicable rate for that industry. As there is […]