More Albertans report workplace injuries as claim duration increases

Data from the Workers' Compensation Board of Alberta shows more people in the province have been reporting workplace injuries. The average claim duration, which is the length of time an injured worker receives wage loss replacement benefits, increased by almost 85 per cent between 2015 and 2022. 

The statistic refers to only lost-time claims, meaning it does not include cases where people return to work the day after an accident.

The average lost-time claim duration increased steadily from 2015 until 2021, then remained the same in 2022. 

In 2015, the average injured worker received wage loss replacement benefits from the WCB for 34 days. The average claim duration for the past two years has been 63 days.

Ben Dille, team lead of engagement and development at the WCB, said multiple factors contribute to claim duration, but the economy is a major one.

"When the economy is weaker, there are fewer suitable return-to-work options that are available for injured workers as they're trying to reintegrate back into the workforce," Dille said in an interview with CBC News.

"And conversely, when the economy is stronger, those positions are more readily available and so people will tend to go back to work faster and they don't remain on WCB benefits for quite as long."

Bob Barnetson, a labour relations professor at Athabasca University, said there was less work available in general during the first two years of the pandemic thus, fewer jobs would have been available for injured workers.

"That, of course, would extend claim duration," he said.

Kevin Becker, a former WCB case manager who now runs Alberta Workers' Compensation Consulting, said an influx of COVID-19 related claims and staff turnover could have also contributed to the increase in claim duration.

Becker advocates for injured workers by reviewing their files and representing them during appeals.

"What I see over and over again is the claim files changing hands repeatedly," he said.

He said those changes, among other reasons, can lead to delays and longer active claims.

Dille said like many employers, the WCB has experienced "a decent amount" of turnover, particularly with claim staff, and the organization is working to train less experienced case managers and adjudicators.