Workers Compensation Board
Employers must be aware of their obligations with regard ensuring the safety of their employees. Most employers in Canada are required by law to have Workers Compensation Insurance for their workers, both paid and unpaid, including employers in the Home-based businesses, as well as some contractors, subcontractors and residential employers.
The Provincial’s Workers’ Compensation Board is dedicated to promoting workplace health and safety for the workers and employers of this province. We consult with and educate employers and workers and monitor compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
Most employers in Canada are required by law to have Workers Compensation Insurance for their workers, both paid and unpaid.
Paid Workers
You are required to cover all your workers. A worker for WCB purposes is any person who enters into or:
Works under a contract of service or apprenticeship, written or oral, expressed or implied, whether by way of manual labor or otherwise. A worker is anyone who works:
*Full-time
*Part-time
*Temporary or casual
Contract/subcontract, unless they are operating through a corporation
or, they maintain their own WCB account (see Contractor/subcontractor
section).
Unpaid workers
If any of your workers are not paid, you must still report a value for their services with the insurable earnings information you submit for your workers. This value of service should represent a fair market value for the services provided.
Family members
The definition of a worker also applies to family members. With the exception of proprietors, partners in a partnership or directors of a corporation, all individuals actively providing a service to the business are workers.
Directors/shareholders
If you are operating as a corporation, you do not have to cover the directors of your corporation. Directors are persons elected by shareholders to manage the business and financial affairs of a corporation. The Provincial Corporate Registry officially records the names of all directors.
In order to be covered by workers’ compensation, directors need to purchase optional personal coverage. Directors who do not have personal coverage are not protected from legal action resulting from workers’ injuries and may be personally sued.
You are required to cover your shareholders who work for the corporation. When shareholders are also elected directors of the corporation, they are not covered by workers’ compensation unless they obtain personal coverage.
Contractors/subcontractors
If you hire contractors or subcontractors you must cover them, except when these individuals:
1. Have their own (WCB account)
2. Are operating as a corporation, or
3. Are performing the work as:
*An employer in that industry
*Worker of another employer
*A director of a corporation (see Corporations section)
*A proprietor with personal coverage (see Proprietors section)
A partner in a partnership with personal coverage (see Partnerships section).
For contractors/subcontractors earnings, you report 100% of the amount paid if only labour is supplied. If equipment is involved, contact the WCB for assistance in determining the amount to report.
Corporations
If you hire a corporation, you do not cover their workers or directors.
Partnerships
If you hire a partnership that has no workers, you must cover the partners if none of them have personal coverage. If, however, any partner has personal coverage, you do not cover any of the partners. The partner (s) without personal coverage will not receive compensation benefits if injured.
Proprietors
If you hire proprietors who do not have personal coverage, you must cover them as your workers. A proprietor for WCB purposes is an individual who owns and operates a business and does not employ any workers. Proprietors usually perform work for more than one principal concurrently.
Volunteers
If you are a non-profit employer who engages volunteers who receive nominal or no remuneration for their services, you may apply to have them covered by workers’ compensation (e.g., the building of a church or community hall).
If you are an employer who is for profit, you may also apply to cover your volunteers if they are in an activity that arises from patriotism, civic-mindedness, or religious or charitable purposes. Otherwise, if the volunteers are there to solely support your business activity/profitability, they are considered your workers and are to be insured at a value of service.
Workers’ Compensation is a liability and disability insurance system set up under the Provincial’s Workers’ Compensation Act that provides your workers with compensation benefits if they are injured on the job. It also protects you from a lawsuit from your injured workers.
This system brings stability and protection to the workplace by providing coverage at a cost shared by all employers. It also protects you and your workers against the risks and expenses of injury and uncertainties of litigation.
The Provincial’s WCB is a mutual insurance corporation that manages the workers’ compensation insurance business based on legislation and regulations of the Provincial’s Workers’ Compensation Act. The WCB is not a provincial government department or crown agency.
The WCB requires most employers in the province to register with the Workers’ Compensation Board and pay assessments based on their annual payroll.
Registering with the WCB
An employer can register with the WCB by completing a registration application.
All General Enquiries
Alberta
Workers’ Compensation Board of Alberta
9912 – 107 Street
P O Box 2415
Edmonton AB T5J 2S5
(780) 498-3999
FAX: (780) 498-7999 Claims
Calgary: (403) 517-6000
1-866-922-9221; Out of Province: 1-800-661-9608
http://www.wcb.ab.ca
British Columbia
Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia
6951 Westminster Highway
Richmond BC V7C 1C6
(604) 273-2266; 1-800-661-2112 or 1-800-972-9972
FAX: (604) 276-3151
http://www.worksafebc.com
Manitoba
Workers’ Compensation Board of Manitoba
333 Broadway Street
Winnipeg MB R3C 4W3
(204) 954-4922; 1-800-362-3340
FAX: (204) 954-4999
http://www.wcb.mb.ca
New Brunswick
WORKPLACE HEALTH, SAFETY AND COMPENSATION COMMISSION
1 Portland Street
P.O. Box 160
Saint John NB E2L 3X9
Tel: 506-632-2200
Fax: 506-632-4999
http://www.whscc.nb.ca
Nova Scotia
Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia
5668 South Street
P O Box 1150
Halifax NS B3J 2Y2
(902) 491-8999; 1-800-870-3331 (mainland NS); 1-800-880-0003 (Cape Breton)
FAX: (902) 491-8002
http://www.wcb.ns.ca
Newfoundland and Labrador
Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission
146 – 148 Forest Road, P O Box 9000
St John’s NL A1A 3B8
1-800-563-9000
(709) 778-1000
FAX: (709) 738-1714
Corner Brook 1-800-563-2772
(709) 637-2700
http://www.whscc.nf.ca/
Contacts: http://www.whscc.nf.ca/contact.htm
Northwest Territories
Yellowknife
Box 8888, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2R3
Tel: (867) 920-3888
Fax: (867) 873-4596
Toll-Free: 1-800-661-0792
Toll-Free Fax: 1-866-277-3677
Email: [email protected]
http://www.wcb.nt.ca/default.asp
Staff Directory: http://www.wcb.nt.ca/directory.asp
Nunavut
Igaluit
P.O. Box 669, Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0
Tel: (867) 979-8500
Fax: (867) 979-8501
Toll-Free: 1-877-404-4407
Email: [email protected]
Rankin Inlet
P.O. Box 368, Rankin Inlet, NU X0C 0G0
Tel: (867) 645-5600
Fax: (867) 645-5601
Email: [email protected]
Ontario
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
200 Front Street West
Toronto ON M5V 3J1
(416) 344-1000 or 1-800-387-5540
FAX: (416) 344-4684
http://www.wsib.on.ca
Contacts: http://www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite.nsf/public/Contact
Prince Edward Island
Workers’ Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island
14 Weymouth Street
P O Box 757
Charlottetown PE C1A 7L7
(902) 368-5680
FAX: (902) 368-5705
Toll-free: 1-800-237-5049
http://www.wcb.pe.ca
Contacts: http://www.wcb.pe.ca/index.php3?number=67917
Quebec
Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec (CSST)
(Occupational Health and Safety Commission)
1199, rue de Bleury
C P 6056, Succursale Centre-Ville
Montréal PQ H3C 4E1
(514) 906-3060; 1-800-667-7585
FAX: (514) 906-3062
http://www.csst.qc.ca/portail/fr/
Information on contacting local offices:
http://www.csst.qc.ca/portail/fr/contacts/comment_joindre/
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board
200 – 1881 Scarth Street
Regina SK S4P 4L1
(306) 787-4370; 1-800-667-7590
FAX: (306) 787-3915
129 – 3rd Avenue North
Saskatoon SK S7K 2H6
(306) 933-6312
FAX (306) 933-7509
Contacts: http://www.wcbsask.com/WCB_Directory/Contacts.html
Yukon
Yukon Workers’ Compensation, Health and Safety Board
401 Strickland Street
Whitehorse YK Y1A 5N8
1-800-661-0443
(867) 667-5645
FAX: (867) 393-6279
http://wcb.yk.ca/
