Work-related injuries are far more common than we’d like them to be. The reality is, it happens, and when a worker is hurt on the job, someone has to pay for it; luckily, it doesn’t have to be the worker. As an employee in Alberta, you have rights if you are injured at work and may be eligible to receive certain benefits.
There are, unfortunately, some industries that are not automatically covered by workers compensation. For a complete list of exempt industries, click here.
What’s considered a workplace injury?
Any injury that takes place on the job, whether it is your fault or someone else’s, is considered a workplace injury. If this injury requires medical attention beyond first aid, and if it causes you to either miss time from work or have to modify your job significantly, than it is severe enough to get in touch with WCB.
How do I get compensated?
The Workers Compensation Board is an employer-funded system. The compensation after an injury varies and is dependent on the nature of the injury itself and affect the injury had on the employee’s income.
If you can no longer work at all due to your injury, you are eligible for wage replacement benefits. Wage replacement benefits begin the day after you are injured and continue on as long as you have medical evidence proving your are unable to return to work.
What’s the process?
The process for getting compensated for a workplace injury can be broken down into 3 general steps.
- Talk
If you get injured at work, make sure you tell your employer, your doctor, and us. It is important to note that if the injury is serious enough, both your employer and doctor are legally obligated to report the injury to WCB.
- Submit
After you have assessed the severity of your injury, request a WCB claim form from your employer and submit your claim. Please note, if you are injured at work, it is your right to make a WCB claim. In fact, it is illegal for your employer to ask you not to report a workplace injury.
- Appeal
If your claim gets denied the first time, you have the opportunity to contact the person responsible for handling your claim and get more information about how the decision was made. If you are still not satisfied with the denied claim, you can submit a formal request for a review.
The process of filing for workers’ compensation can be a challenging one. For a full workers’ handbook containing everything you need to know about WCB, click here. Always remember that as a worker, It is absolutely your right to make a WCB claim. If you have any questions about if you’re eligible for workers’ compensation, or you need guidance with your claim, contact us.
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