Understanding your WCB Premiums
In this FREE webinar, you will learn:
a. how WCB functions;
b. how WCB determines your rate;
c. strategies and tips to reduce your WCB rates.
Find our how a company achieved a reduction of more than $400,000 in medical claims in less than 18 months.!
Dates and Times (all times are Atlantic Times)
Select the session that fits your schedule:
As 2011 comes to a close, we would like to thank our clients, our suppliers, our friends, and our supporters for our best year to date. HR pros’ operations grew by nearly 40% from its 2010 level. In 2008, our clients were based mainly in HRM. In 2011, our clients were located throughout Nova Scotia, from Yarmouth to Sydney, in New Brunswick, and in Ontario. Our staff grew as well. We have added a labour specialist, a training specialist, and a benefits and claim management specialist to our roster of associates.
This past year, Dr Wayne Adams received the Order of Nova Scotia to add to his impressive list of recognition and awards. Tanya Sieliakus was a finalist in the category of HR excellence in Atlantic Canada at the Atlantic Human Resources Awards. Tanya was also appointed to the board of the East Coast Music Association. Sylvain Allaire was re-elected as vice-president of the Francophone Chamber of Commerce of Halifax and to the board of Soccer Nova Scotia for the Dartmouth region.
During the year, we worked with clients in agriculture, finance, retail, manufacturing, Information technology, entertainment, as well as with government agencies and not for profit organisations. We have delivered workshops to start up business owners as well as to established companies with hundreds of employees.
There have been many positive stories from our clients but a few standout in our minds. A participant at one of our workshops sent an email the following day thanking Tanya for saving her child’s eye. During the workshop on Occupational Health and Safety, Tanya had described the first aid steps to take in the event that a foreign liquid gets in the eye. That evening, the lesson was quickly recalled when the liquid from a glow stick got in the eye of the child. The participant followed the first aid guidance and was told by the doctor at the emergency that her actions helped save the eye.
A more recent case is also worth mentioning. We helped a client win a $28,000 appeal with the Worker’s Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. Given how WCB premiums are calculated, this win is likely to save the client much more in premiums over the next three year.
What will 2012 bring? One thing to watch is the progress of Bill-C25 or the Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act. In Nova Scotia, we are likely to see an increased level of safety inspections. The minimum wage could also increase to keep pace with the CPI. One thing is certain; HR pros will be busy “Connecting Businesses with Their People”.
Happy New Year! All the best for 2012!
Posted in holiday, human resources, Policies, Regulations, wcb
Sadly, 29 Nova Scotian workers died on the job in 2008. While this is an improvement over the 41 fatalities in 2004, it is of little comfort to the families touched by these tragedies.
The latest Worker’s Compensation Board rates show that 54% of Nova Scotia employers will see a rate increase next year. It also shows that 77 employers will have to pay a surcharge because their claims and claim costs are significantly higher than other companies within their industry.
Higher WCB costs negatively impact the bottom line, and sometimes the impact is significant. Further, higher accident rates negatively impact employee morale, productivity, as well as, surprisingly, employee safety and attention to the job.
High WCB rates and surcharges need not be. Several employers will pay see a reduction in their rates. So, how do employers reduce their WCB costs?
Employers can reduce their WCB costs by adopting a four-pronged strategy that includes:
1- Prevention – have the proper safety programs in place;
2- Education – training employees and supervisors on the safety programs;
3- Investigation – determine the root causes of accidents and fix the problem;
4- Return to work programs – accommodate injured employees so that they can return to work and make a meaningful contribution.
HR pros has an excellent track record in helping employers reduce their WCB costs. In a year-and-a-half the Managing Partners reduce the medical and claim costs of a large Nova Scotia employer from $498,000 to $42,000!
