IMPROVING WORKSAFEBC CLAIMS EFFICIENCY, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AND SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY (2026)

Issue

British Columbia employers are experiencing increasing claim durations, rising assessment costs, and inconsistent application of WorkSafeBC policies. Limited stakeholder collaboration and unclear communication processes are contributing to inefficiencies that impact injured workers’ recovery and employers’ ability to manage return-to-work obligations effectively. The Provincial Government should establish a structured, multi-stakeholder review and improvement process to enhance transparency, accountability, cost control, and timely claim resolution within WorkSafeBC.

Background

WorkSafeBC operates as British Columbia’s exclusive workplace insurance and safety regulator. The system is entirely employer-funded and is intended to provide timely compensation and safe return-to-work outcomes for injured workers, while ensuring predictable and sustainable costs for employers.

However, employers across multiple sectors are reporting growing concern regarding:

• Increasing average claim durations
• Escalating system costs
• Inconsistent application of policy and decision-making
• Limited consultation with employers during claims adjudication
• Misalignment between clinicians, employers, and WorkSafeBC decision-makers
• Reduced transparency regarding cost containment and governance structure

Average claim durations have increased significantly in recent years, contributing to higher total claim costs and prolonged workforce absences. Extended claim durations not only increase direct costs to the system, but also create workforce shortages, operational strain, and economic disruption across sectors.[1]

Under the Workers Compensation Act (including amendments under Bill 41), employers have a statutory duty to accommodate, and workers have a duty to cooperate in return-to-work processes. While the intent of this legislation is supported by the business community, its prescriptive and top-down implementation has resulted in inconsistent application and confusion among stakeholders.

Many employers report that claim decisions are frequently made without meaningful employer consultation, even where return-to-work planning requires employer participation. In addition, there is limited formal collaboration between WorkSafeBC, employers, healthcare providers, and labor representatives to align expectations and reduce misunderstandings.

WorkSafeBC has recently taken steps to establish advisory panels to improve alignment with clinicians; however, employer representation in these initiatives remains limited or undefined. Given that employers fully fund the system and are responsible for workplace accommodation, exclusion from strategic advisory processes undermines system accountability and effectiveness.

There is currently no formal, government-directed, multi-stakeholder mechanism tasked with reviewing systemic inefficiencies, governance alignment, cost containment practices, and collaborative processes within WorkSafeBC.

A coordinated, structured working group will include balanced representation from: 

• Employers (including Chamber of Commerce and sector representatives)
• Labour organizations
• WorkSafeBC leadership
• Healthcare professionals
• Industry safety associations
• Return-to-work and disability management experts

The working group would provide a balanced and evidence-based pathway to:

• Improve claim efficiency
• Reduce system costs
• Increase trust and transparency
• Strengthen return-to-work outcomes
• Enhance long-term sustainability of the system

And should:

• Identify causes of increasing claim durations and recommend measurable targets for reduction
• Improve employer inclusion in adjudication and return-to-work planning processes
• Enhance transparency and consistency in policy application
• Recommend improvements to clinician-employer-WorkSafeBC collaboration
• Review governance and cost-containment mechanisms to ensure long-term system sustainability

Given the economic importance of predictable and efficient workplace insurance to British Columbia’s competitiveness, government leadership is required to ensure the system is operating effectively and collaboratively.

The Chamber Recommends

That the Provincial Government and WorkSafe BC:

1. Establish an independent, time-limited, multi-stakeholder Working Group mandated to review and recommend improvements to WorkSafeBC’s claims management processes, cost containment practices, governance alignment, and stakeholder engagement mechanisms.
2. Require the Working Group to report publicly within 12 months, including cost implications, implementation timelines, and measurable performance benchmarks.