While WCB pays the direct medical and wage loss costs, Alberta employers bear the indirect costs: lost productivity, hiring replacement workers, OSHA fines, and increased future premiums.
The Iceberg Effect
Direct costs (hospital bills, medications) are just the tip of the iceberg. The indirect costs of an injury in Alberta are usually 4x to 10x higher. These include halting project timelines, training temporary workers, and administrative time spent managing the claim.
Impact on Bidding
Your Experience Modification Rate (E-Mod) skyrockets after a major claim. A high E-Mod not only raises your WCB premiums for the next three years, but it disqualifies you from bidding on lucrative Alberta government and commercial contracts.