Motor vehicle accidents: Don’t leave your experience rating and claims costs to chance
When an employee is involved in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) while on the job, employers often assume that claim costs and fault will be sorted out automatically through auto insurance and/or WCB policies. However, our years of experience dealing with these kinds of claims shows that this is not always the case. Understanding how WCB Alberta handles travel, fault, and cost allocation can save your organization thousands of dollars in claim costs and premiums. What makes an MVA compensable? Not every motor vehicle collision that happens while a worker is on the road — even if it occurs while driving a work vehicle — is considered a workplace injury. Routine travel to and from work is generally not compensable. The standard commute is considered a personal activity outside the course of employment. Travel is compensable when it is explicitly directed by the employer — such as running a work […]
Things to consider when voting for or against the ICP program
The Workers’ Compensation Board is re-polling a number of industries to see whether their members want to continue participating in the WCB’s optional Industry Custom Pricing or ICP program. As we have discussed before on the BCL blog, the program offers industries a choice of whether to remain in the traditional system for calculating premiums or to agree to be part of ICP, and while there are benefits to being in this program, there are also some strong negatives, and it’s important to consider both before you agree to join or rejoin. Under custom pricing, companies can get lower premiums in return for giving up the option for cost relief for pre-existing conditions or for allowing the WCB to modify the rate-setting calculations for that industry. The last province-wide vote was held in September of 2025. All the members of a given industry get to vote on whether to become […]
This month we honour fallen workers
April 28th marks the National Day of Mourning in Canada — a day to remember and honour those workers who have lost their lives or suffered injuries on the job. It’s an important reminder of the ongoing need to prioritize workplace safety and prevent future tragedies. We must all do our part to prioritize workplace safety, whether by speaking up about hazards, following safety protocols and guidelines, or advocating for better policies and regulations. Together, we can create a safer and more just workplace for all. According to the latest data from the Government of Alberta, from 2023 to 2024 Alberta’s workforce increased to 2,518,900 workers, a 3.1 per cent increase, and in 2024 WCB Alberta accepted 49,831 claims, of which 75 percent were modified-work claims and 56 percent were lost-time claims. The disabling injury and illness in 2024 were the lowest in the past five-years, the government’s records show, […]
What you need to know about EPRS statements
If you are an Alberta employer, you should have received your Employer Premium Rate Statement sometime in December or possibly late November (if you didn’t, you might want to check the Workers’ Compensation Board online portal and/or your email). If you’re new to the process, here’s a quick recap on how it works: Every year from the end of November to mid-December, WCB Alberta sends out its premium rate statements. This document tells all employers in Alberta who have a registered WCB account how much they will pay for WCB coverage the next year. Depending on your company’s track record with injuries and claims, combined with your industry’s overall injury rates, the increase to your premium rates could be significant, or you could be given a discount on your previous rate. In the WCB’s 2026 Premium Rates Highlight sheet, it says that the board is several years into a multi-year […]
Time to register for WCB Alberta’s Partnership in Injury Reduction program
Annual Experience Rating statements will be released soon for employers across Canada, so it’s a good time to review some of the ways in which you can reduce your future WCB premium rates. Obviously, one way is to not have as many claims, since your WCB claims from the three preceding years are used to calculate your premium rate. So for next year (2026) the number and costs associated with the claims you had in 2022, 2023 and 2024 will determine what you pay in terms of a premium rate. There is one additional way in which Alberta employers can reduce their premium rate, and that is to take part in the WCB’s Partnership in Injury Reduction program. In order to do so, you have to register no later than December 31, 2025. The benefit can be significant: If you qualify, you can get a refund of up to 20 […]