Workers Compensation

How to file a claim:

You have the right to apply for Workers Compensation Benefits if you have been injured at work, or develop an illness caused by your work, no matter how minor. Visit the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) of Manitoba’s website on How to Report an Injury for detailed steps on how to file a claim and seek medical attention.

Injured workers applying to WCB or appealing a WCB decision, or union staff or activists who are assisting injured workers with a WCB claim or appeal are encouraged to consult the MFL’s WCB Resource Guide for Worker Advocates for much more information on navigating the WCB system. The MFL also offers a two-day course for union activists on ‘Supporting Injured Workers with WCB Claims’ offered as part of our annual Health and Safety Conference.

The WCB may cover:

Health care benefits

WCB might pay the bills for prescriptions, counselling, chiropractic appointments, dental costs, and other health care costs, like the cost of braces, crutches, and hearing aids.

Wage replacement benefits

When an injury or illness keeps a worker from going to work, WCB might pay the worker 90% of her or his wages in wage replacement benefits. Wage replacement benefits are paid also to a worker who goes to work, but doesn't earn as much as she or he used to earn because the work is different, or because the hours are fewer.

Fatality/Impairment benefits

When a worker dies from an occupational disease or an injury caused by work, the worker's dependents receive compensation from WCB. When a worker suffers a permanent disability from work he or she might receive a lump sum benefit.

Vocational Rehabilitation

The WCB might pay for some retraining if an injured worker cannot return to his or her job, but the WCB will not guarantee reemployment.

Report all injuries:

All workplace injuries should be reported to your employer. All injuries that require medical attention or cause you to miss work should be reported to the WCB. Even minor injuries should be reported. Some injuries and occupational illnesses develop over time. A worker's notes about a minor work injury or illness can be used down the road to trace how work may have caused or played a significant part in a more serious injury or illness that develops later.

If you don’t report an injury:

You may not get the safety training you need;
You may not get Workers Compensation benefits;
The boss may not know about a danger in the workplace, and other workers could get be injured too.

It is illegal for employers to pressure you not to report or pursue a WCB claim – that’s claim suppression and it’s against the law. It’s also against the law for employers to take any discriminatory action against a worker for reporting an injury or filing a WCB claim. If you experience any type of claim suppression or discriminatory action, be sure to tell your union and the WCB. Employers can be fined and prosecuted.

For more information about claim suppression and discriminatory action, please see pages 33-34 of the WCB Act Legislative Overview or Section19.1(1) of The Workers Compensation Act.

Appealing a WCB decision:

You have a right to appeal WCB decisions about your claim. WCB decisions that are commonly appealed by workers include:

your claim was denied;
the amount of benefits approved was incorrect;
your WCB benefits and services have been reduced or terminated;
you are not being provided a service such as rehabilitation or medical aid; or
your rehabilitation services are being terminated.

In making an appeal, you can check in with your union and also seek help from the Worker Advisor Office, a free and confidential service, independent from the WCB: 945-5787 (Winnipeg) or toll-free at 1-800-282-8069 (outside Winnipeg).

The Worker Advisor Office is available to:

advise workers and/or their dependants of their rights under the Workers Compensation Act;
represent workers and/or their dependants at various levels in the appeal process; and
assist in increasing the level of awareness in Workers Compensation matters by providing information and education to the public and to organizations who represent injured workers.

Your MFL

A strong MFL is more important now than ever before. Premier Brian Pallister has already passed a law that makes it more difficult to join a union; undermined the collective bargaining process; and made cuts to public services – like healthcare and education – and laid-off workers. All this despite promising to protect public services and the people who provide them. We are fighting back and you can too. Learn more about why unions matter and get involved in your union or unionize your workplace.

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As a worker, you have rights

As a worker in Manitoba, you have rights. These are set out in laws and collective agreements and cover a whole range of issues, from health and safety to minimum wage and vacations to workers compensation.

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