At WCB, we work hard to serve and support Albertans. Workers in our province deserve the best care and support to recover from a workplace injury or illness, and Alberta’s employers deserve affordable workplace protection for themselves and their workers. Our Board of Directors and executive take these responsibilities seriously and are committed to delivering a system that meets the current and future needs of our province.
As we reflect on the past year, it’s clear our collective successes were made possible through mindful collaboration with our clients and partners. We wish to acknowledge each of you who contribute to the success and strength of our system. It is with great pride we share and celebrate our 2023 results with you—results we achieved together.
Guiding the system
In 2019, we established a five-year strategic plan that put workers at the centre of their recovery and employers at the centre of guiding a safe and successful return to work. Four strategic priorities guided us: a shared service journey, the changing nature of claims, the changing nature of work and technology modernization and innovation. This framework laid the foundation for where we are today and sets us up well for the future.
Evolving to support Albertans
In 2023, the Alberta economy experienced a period of strong growth with a record number of Albertans working. While this is positive news for our province, we also experienced challenges. Claims with psychological barriers to return to work increased in 2023, and we saw a significant number of re-opened claims from previous years where the worker is no longer working with their date-of-accident employer.
Workplaces have shifted dramatically in recent years and have required creative approaches to respond to the changing nature of work and claims. In the past year, we made great progress in refining many of our processes and reducing hours spent on routine tasks, allowing us to invest more time in meaningful conversations with our clients to assist them on the road to recovery.
Helping Albertans get back to work
The longer an injured worker remains off work, the less likely it is they will ever return. Through partnerships, the use of technology and innovative programs we achieved 88% return-to-work success within four months and 85% of workers who required re-employment assistance successfully returned to work or were provided with a viable job lead. These are significant achievements.
Workers, employers and health care providers comprise a powerful network essential to this success as they are as partners in return-to-work planning. New features in the worker mobile app, employer mobile app and employer portal made it easier to access information, collaborate and support recovery and the return-to-work efforts.
Proactive services and supports are equally important to achieve optimal return-to-work outcomes. We have made meaningful strides in this area, including using technology to help us predict when a worker might need extra support. Early understanding of potential barriers to recovery and fitness for work allows us to deliver the support workers need when their recovery may be at risk. We see the effects of this predictive support in our care for workers with psychological injuries, having reduced the duration and impact of disability for many people with serious and complex injuries.
Supporting workers with timely benefits and services
Our commitment to supporting workers and employers is deeply engrained in the fabric of our system. The strength of this commitment and its impacts are measured through our clients’ satisfaction. In 2023, 86% of workers and employers were satisfied with the transparency, timeliness and respect they experienced in their interactions with us.
We understand that making timely decisions and payments reduces uncertainty and stress and helps injured workers to focus on their recovery. In 2023, 84% of workers with accepted claims received benefits within 14 days, which significantly reduces the financial strain for injured workers and their families during what can be very challenging times.
This feedback and the specific results of our noble work outlined in this annual report tell us our collective efforts are working and motivates us to continue to do everything we can to deliver on these commitments.
Celebrating our shared successes
As we reflect on the past year, we recognize that our collective success could not have happened without collaboration. We wish to acknowledge our team members and partners who are committed to helping workers with their recovery and return to work, and who contribute to the success of our system.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, our executive leadership team and all staff at WCB, thank you. Your partnership, collaboration and feedback make our system stronger. We look forward to continuing this momentum in years to come as we work together toward a safe, healthy and strong Alberta.
Dr. Ray Block, Chair, Board of Directors
Trevor Alexander, President & CEO