Lesson 4: Workers' Compensation Board

Glossary


Your working life could be 40 years or more. Will you ever have a work-related injury? Hopefully not, but... Just in case! Be prepared!

              Know about the history of the WCB, the employer, the worker and the forms that hopefully you will never need!



 Courtesy of: www.wcb.ab.ca


If you are working, either full or part-time, you may not have thought about how a workplace injury will affect you.

  This section on Workers' Compensation, will help you understand how a workplace injury can impact your future

                                    and will also answer some of the following questions.



If you were injured at work, how would you pay for your medical bills?

If you were badly injured and couldn't work, would you still received your paycheque?

If you were injured to the point that you couldn't do the same job, who would pay for retraining?

If you were injured and couldn't work any longer, would you get a pension?

Reading this section will answer these and other questions you might have about workplace injuries.




History of the Workers' Compensation Board

During the 19th century, at the time of the Industrial revolution, inventions led to a quick growth for industries and business.  Many jobs were created in these new industries, however the working conditions were very poor.  

For the first time, workers were using power-driven machinery, so injuries were very common. When workers were injured, there was little or now help available for them.

In the early 20th century, Canadian law makers realized that workers needed to be protected; there needed to be some sort of pay for injured workers and for families of workers killed on the job.

In Ontario, in 1915, the first Workmen's Compensation Act was passed; it gave protection to workers and employers through insurance.

Soon after, other provinces followed and passed their own acts.

Today, each Canadian province has a similar Workers' Compensation Act. Each act permits the setting up of a Worker's Compensation Board (WCB), an organization that manages the workers' compensation insurance business to protect employers and workers when workplace injuries happen.


Due to the creation of the Workers' Compensation Act, most employers must pay premiums to the WCB, to cover their workers for work-related injuries. 

Most Canadian workers are protected by this law.







What Should You Do If You Are Injured At Work?


  1. Tell your employer. Give details about the injury as soon as possible. After you report the injury, your employer has 72 hours to send an Injury Report Form to the WCB.
  2. Tell your doctor that you were injured at work. Your doctor has 48 hours to file a report with the WCB.
  3. Tell the WCB. Complete and send a Worker's Report of Injury form to the WCB as soon as possible. You can get these forms from your employer, doctor or the WCB.