December 07, 2020
WCB Operations during COVID-19
We are pleased to continue to offer services, despite this service looking different, in some cases, in order to protect the safety of our clients and staff. Please contact us by phone at 902-368-5680 or 1-800-237-5049, 8am - 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. The Occupational Health & Safety 24hr Emergency Line is 902-628-7513. We are also available by email:For Occupational Health and Safety, contact ohs@wcb.pe.caFor information about workers compensation claims, contact workerservices@wcb.pe.caFor information about employer accounts, contact safetymatters@wcb.pe.ca We ask for your patience as we manage the impact of COVID-19 on the way we deliver services to Islanders. We will continue to offer services to our clients as long as it is safe to do so.For the safety of our clients and staff, we will practise physical distancing and will wear non-medical masks at all times when providing service.WCB staff are available to assist workers and employers over the phone or by email. Essential visits to the WCB office may be able to be arranged by appointment only.OHS Officers will continue to assist workplaces with health and safety matters. Where worksite visits are required, Officers will wear non-medical masks and use physical distancing to ensure safety. OHS Education Consultants are available to assist employers by providing presentations and guidance on various health and safety topics. Upon request, virtual presentation options are available as well as in-person meetings (provided the appropriate COVID-19 precautions are in place.) Consultants will wear non-medical masks and use physical distancing to ensure safety.Benefit payments for eligible workers will continue and new claims will be processed. We will process payments and claims as quickly as possible. If you have any questions about your claim, please contact your case worker. WCB staff are available to recieve payments and assist employers with their accounts. Employers and health care providers can access WCB Online Services at any time. ?
October 23, 2020
Workers Compensation Board of PEI holds assessment rates into 2021
The Workers Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island has announced that 2021 employer assessment rates will be maintained at the 2020 rate levels. “We are pleased that we are able to maintain rates for Island employers and provide some level of certainty in these uncertain times,” said Cheryl Paynter, Chief Executive Officer of the Workers Compensation Board. The cost associated with maintaining 2020 rates for 2021 will be funded from the Workers Compensation Board’s Fund Balance. This announcement comes following a decade of declining assessment rates, strong investment returns, a focus on injury prevention and return to work efforts and generally, an overall strong funded position and a funding policy that focuses on sustainability and minimizing volatility all the while offering service and supports to injured workers. The outbreak of COVID-19 and related responses have impacted economies on a local to global scale. Disruption of normal business operations, contraction of major industries and the volatility experienced in global equity markets have contributed to an uncertain global economic outlook. While it is not yet possible to reliably estimate the long term financial impact of COVID-19, we anticipate that assessment revenues, investment returns, claims costs and benefit liability valuations may all be impacted by COVID-19 well into the future. “The WCB’s funding and rate setting polices are performing in protecting Island workers and employers from extreme fluctuations while ensuring that the current and future costs of workplace accidents are fully funded,” said Jim MacPhee, Chair of the Workers Compensation Board.All Island employers will be advised of their individual assessment rates in December 2020, which are based on the costs of claims and the risks of workplace injury in their industries. For more information on the assessment rate groups, please visit wcb.pe.ca/2021rates. Aussi disponible en français.
