Start 2025 off right by reviewing your approach to worker injuries
As we begin a new year, it’s worth taking some time to review your approach to workplace injuries. It goes without saying that the best way to keep your workers’ compensation premiums as low as possible is to simply have no claims, but the reality is that accidents do sometimes happen, and claims are often unavoidable. As a company, it’s in your interest to both monitor and manage those claims, since doing so will help mitigate the costs that directly impact your bottom line. The best approach is to have in place a robust system for this purpose, which not only reflects and fosters a culture of safety within your company, but can also help to control those unforeseen costs. Here are some of the key components of such a system: Prompt Reporting of Injuries The first line of defence in managing workers’ compensation costs is prompt reporting of injuries. […]
10 Things to Check on Your 2025 WCB Premium Rate Statement
It’s that time of year again! 2025 WCB Premium Rate Statements will be issued shortly! Your premium rate statement not only advises you of the 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 2025 premium rates in British Columbia and Saskatchewan will remain the same as 2024 levels, while Alberta will see a slight increase as part of their multi-year plan to realign premiums and claim costs. Manitoba has not announced their 2025 premium rate yet. 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 check the following when reviewing your 2025 statement: Is your Company name/address correct? Have your operations or business changed? Are you classified in the […]
What is Partnership in Injury Reduction (PIR) and How to Get Involved
The Time is Now! Register in WCB Alberta’s Partnerships in Injury Reduction (PIR) by December 31, 2024 and to be eligible for PIR refunds for 2024 and 2025 The annual Experience Rating statements will be issued in only a couple of months, so now is a good time for employers to look at ways to maintain or improve their WCB premium rate. In Alberta, your claims experience from the past three years is used to establish your premium rate for the coming year – in other words, your WCB claims from 2021, 2022 and 2023 will be used to determine your premium rate for 2025. Although you can not change past performance, what you do from this point forward can have a significant impact on your WCB premium rates in the future. What Is PIR and How to Get Involved: One way that Alberta employers can realize WCB premium […]
Employer Representatives: the Secret Weapon to WCB Premium Reduction
Managing Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) claims can be a frustratingly complex and time-consuming process for any organization. Not only do you have to be educated with regards to the Worker’s Compensation Act and WCB policies and procedures, you need to know when to act, what to question and when to back away. The wrong move at the wrong time can be costly in terms of man hours, claims cost accumulation, premium increases and productivity. Due to the recent rate of employee turnover seen in the past few years, many claims managers, adjudicators, case assistants and other WCB staff are inexperienced and/or overwhelmed. Without a solid understanding of WCB policies and procedures, administrative errors and questionable decisions are a real possibility and employers may end up absorbing a financial brunt of the fallout. Unless you can stay current with all the changes and maintain a hands-on approach to managing WCB claims, […]
Why Your Employees Need a WHMIS Certificate for Enhanced Workplace Safety
Learn why a WHMIS Certificate is essential for workplace safety and compliance, and how it benefits both employees and employers. Knowing what materials you are working with or working around and the dangers they can present is essential to avoiding on-the-job accidents. The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) certificate training is a cornerstone of workplace safety that every Canadian business should make a priority. Understanding WHMIS WHMIS is Canada’s national workplace communication standard introduced in 1988 and updated in 2015 to align with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The system designed to ensure the safety and health of workers through cautionary labelling of containers of WHMIS controlled products, the provision of material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and worker education and site-specific training programs. It ensures that employees fully understand the hazards associated with the products they work with. It also provides information on […]