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Old 09-27-2012, 10:02 PM
New Hunter Okotoks New Hunter Okotoks is offline
 
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Default WCB. How do they figure out payments.

I hurt myself at work this past Monday. I fell down hard in a trailer on my lower back/butt area and went to the Hospital an hour later. X-Rays showed no bone damage.

At this point I can't really sit or stand at all without a lot of pain. My entire left side and lower back is completely seized. I spoke with my boss tonight. I told him that I had just seen my Doctor who put me on Percocets and told me to let the swelling around the injury settle down. The boss is obviously worried about the premiums for the Company and wants me to go into work and do something so that it is not a lost time accident. I explained that it takes me a long time to find a position that allows my back to relax. He is none too happy right now and told me this: " I'm not sure how WCB is going to work this out. You probably wouldn't have got any hours in this week, so I don't think they should have to pay for those days." I have only missed a few days due to shortage of work in the last 3 months and generally get close to my 40hours.

Does WCB pay based on what I have been working in the past few months or what the Employer says I "would" have been getting?
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Old 09-27-2012, 10:13 PM
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They'll be paying according to your recent pay stubs, rather than what the boss says you'd be getting; were that the case, the boss would be saying that every potential claimant was due to be fired/laid off the next day to avoid liability premiums.

Sorry to hear you got hurt. Crappy timing with hunting season upon us.
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Old 09-27-2012, 10:13 PM
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Talk to oki or catinthehat
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Old 09-27-2012, 10:26 PM
New Hunter Okotoks New Hunter Okotoks is offline
 
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Originally Posted by CaberTosser View Post

Sorry to hear you got hurt. Crappy timing with hunting season upon us.
Tell me about it! LOL! I just sighted in my rifle on Sunday and was laying down some tight groups too.

I could be wrong, but with the way this feels, I think I could be down for a while. It doesn't feel like it's just a strained muscle. I move about 3 inches at a time when walking and don't lift my feet more than an inch off the ground.

I hopped off the forklift right into an oil slick. I think my foot was at waist height before I even started falling. I'm actually lucky that I didn't ring the back of my head off the forklift.
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Old 09-27-2012, 10:41 PM
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You mean the forklifts lucky it didn't get clocked by your noggin. Your head could be used as a counterweight on a tower crane for Pete's sake.
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Old 09-27-2012, 10:46 PM
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Originally Posted by CaberTosser View Post
You mean the forklifts lucky it didn't get clocked by your noggin. Your head could be used as a counterweight on a tower crane for Pete's sake.
LOL!

The boss would have probably been angry if I chipped the paint on the forklift and deducted it from my pay cheque. Humans heal on their own you know; equipment doesn't.
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Old 09-28-2012, 12:02 AM
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If you are hurt do not let your boss try to convince you to return to work to avoid a WCB claim. If you go back to work and it does not improve or get better you have just complicated your claim and possibly given WCB grounds to deny. Your boss pays WCB premiums for the purpose of worker coverage. You should not feel intimidated because you were hurt. It is your body and your suffering.
Years ago I cut my finger quite bad on the job, and the boss suggested for me to stay at work. Because I could not use my injured hand I ended up getting hurt worse.

Here is the site that will tell you everything.

http://www.wcb.ab.ca/workers/
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Old 09-28-2012, 12:21 AM
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Sucks you got hurt bud and your boss sounds like he's a bit of a douche about it.

Can't help with the WCB question though as I'm not a klutz.

Best wishes on a speedy recovery though.
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Old 09-28-2012, 02:25 AM
hunterbobthebuilder hunterbobthebuilder is offline
 
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Good luck getting anything from wcb broke my back and they did everything they could not to pay me. Still have never seen a cent
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Old 09-28-2012, 08:06 AM
Bigwoodsman Bigwoodsman is online now
 
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I believe the WCB will pay a percentage of your wage to you. I am thinking that this percentage will be source deduction free, but I am not 100 percent sure on that.
If you are fit for modified duties as per your doctors limitations, you will have to go to work, as long as your employer can find you a suitable and meaningful task to do within the doctors limits.
While you have already seen your doctor it's too late to pursue the OIS (occupational injury services) route. With OIS you do not need to make an appointment to see the doctor, clinics that participate in OIS have a special area for work place injuries. They also have direct connections for rehab and physiotherapy. My understanding is that they also have a standing MRI appointment booked everyday, so no waiting around for months to have this procedure done.
It sucks to be hurt at work, but attitude is everything when dealing with WCB. Be cooperative, do what they ask you to do and you should be alright.
As for your boss worrying about his premiums instead of your health and safety, well that is concerning, and if I were you I would be looking in the help wanted section of the paper. No need to work for an employer like that in Alberta today!!

Just my .02

BW
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Old 09-28-2012, 08:39 AM
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Building racking in a warehouse, a 50lb piece fell out from about 8 feet off the ground, and it clipped my nose, causing a inch long gash down to the bone. I went and got stitches, I could have worked right after, but doc said to go home. So WCB paid me for the rest of my day, with what I was making.


If your making $10/hr you will get paid $10/hr for whatever time you miss.
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Old 09-28-2012, 09:02 AM
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WCB pays 90% of net based on your pre-accident earnings.

They calculate it using your annual gross pre-accident income going back from the date of your accident. From there they figure out 90% of net and issue benefits. WCB will deduct whatever your post accident earnings are from your benefits. EG: after you got hurt, your work gives you light duties at 20 hours per week, but you were working 40 hrs per week before. WCB will issue the difference.

But, there is a catch. WCB only insures a maximum of $86,700 per year. If your gross earnings before this is greater, only the first $86.700 is insured. If you don't earn this much year it won't affect you.

You do not pay income tax on your WCB benefits

Go here for more info: http://www.wcb.ab.ca/workers/wage_replacement.asp

Edit: Forgot to add: If you haven't worked for your current employer for a year, you can also use previous income (within reason and no gaps between employment). You can also include earnings from a second job if you have one right now.

Last edited by bigdaddy37; 09-28-2012 at 09:09 AM.
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Old 09-28-2012, 01:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets View Post
If you are hurt do not let your boss try to convince you to return to work to avoid a WCB claim. If you go back to work and it does not improve or get better you have just complicated your claim and possibly given WCB grounds to deny. Your boss pays WCB premiums for the purpose of worker coverage. You should not feel intimidated because you were hurt. It is your body and your suffering.
Years ago I cut my finger quite bad on the job, and the boss suggested for me to stay at work. Because I could not use my injured hand I ended up getting hurt worse.

Here is the site that will tell you everything.

http://www.wcb.ab.ca/workers/
X2 Good advice! Once you go back to work before you are cleared, your case and subsequent cases pretaining to this injury are closed.

Sorry, but the only person out to help you is possibly your Dr and you! They may even try to get you to see THEIR inhouse DR. Guess what his findings will be?
Document everything, keep records of everything. When you talk to someone, document date, time and who (first/last name) of who you called. Get emails when possible. (The tried telling me they didn't have access to email but later said they would email my Dr)
You may not be fighting them now. But do you go scouting without a rifle and ammo?
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Old 09-28-2012, 09:02 PM
hunterbobthebuilder hunterbobthebuilder is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by colin455 View Post
X2 Good advice! Once you go back to work before you are cleared, your case and subsequent cases pretaining to this injury are closed.

Sorry, but the only person out to help you is possibly your Dr and you! They may even try to get you to see THEIR inhouse DR. Guess what his findings will be?
Document everything, keep records of everything. When you talk to someone, document date, time and who (first/last name) of who you called. Get emails when possible. (The tried telling me they didn't have access to email but later said they would email my Dr)
You may not be fighting them now. But do you go scouting without a rifle and ammo?
Wcb even tried to bully my doctor they got the inhouse doctor to try and convince my doc that nothing was wrong me. Finally my doc told me to lawyer up
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Old 09-28-2012, 09:36 PM
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At one time it was very easy to get a WCB claim resovled, but I think that due to a lot of fraud, it has now turned the other way, and the people running WCB seem to be more interested in satisfying the employers' desires more than actually looking at a case and deciding on its merits.
Sad, actually.

These days in my area ( Industrial and commercial construction and maintainence), most epmployers would rather an employee go on light duty than be off work and file a claim.
in the case of some injuries this is the way to go, even from an employee's standpoint, because the worker will lose no time at all, and draw his full wages while getting back to full strength.
The report is still filed, so if the injuriy re-occurs, the case can be reviewed.
The employer's WCB rates do not go up, as there is no lost time , either.

The problem , of course, is finding a decent job the worker can do on light duty, and getting things re-opened as occupational if there is a
re- injury!
Cat
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