WCB: Worker’s Compensation Board:
The Workers Compensation Board promotes safety and health in Manitoba workplaces and aims to help prevent and reduce the occurrence of workplace injuries and disease. Working with its partners, the WCB promotes safe and healthy workplaces, facilitates recovery and return to work, provides compassionate and supportive compensation services for workers and employers, and ensures responsible financial stewardship. Excerpt taken from https://www.wcb.mb.ca/
Not all businesses are involved with WCB or pay dues to them. Workers compensation coverage is required for most businesses in Manitoba for example. If you are in a mandatory industry, everyone who works for your business is considered a worker and is entitled to WCB coverage regardless of:
- the structure of their pay
- the nature of their work in relation to your primary business operation
- the location.
This includes:
- contract workers
- apprentices and learners
- family members
- domestic service workers (who work more than 24 hours/week).
Note: If you hire one domestic worker who works more than 24 hours per week and another domestic worker for less than 24 hours a week, you must provide coverage for all of your domestic service workers.
Mandatory industries include:
- Agriculture and forestry
- Mines, quarries and oil wells
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Transportation, communications and storage
- Trade (retail)
- Service
- Public administration.
Now that this has been stated, not all employees are encouraged to make a claim. In fact, I know people who have been discouraged to put in a claim, as the company’s payments would increase. The company gives a little incentive – paid time off, a bonus or something else or nothing really. People don’t want to lose their job.
However, if you should put in a claim – remember, you need to look after you. Think about how this injury could affect your life in the future. If there is no paper trail – doctor’s appointment, diagnosis, information of the incident, what will you have to fall back on in the future? You and your family have to live with how it affects you in the future – the consequences.
Please think of you, your life, your body, your mind, your family and then make the decision that will best support you.
Questions to Ponder:
Have you made a decision to not put in a claim previously?
Do you wish you had?
Have you been put in an awkward situation regarding Worker’s Comp?
