Employers: Why your worker’s work schedule is important and how to report it

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The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) requires wage information from an injured worker’s employer to provide earnings loss (also called wage-loss) benefits (PRO 06/2016). We use a worker’s wage base to calculate all earnings loss payments. The information an employer provides can impact the amount the injured worker receives for the time lost from work for their injury. The WCB pays earnings loss benefits based on the schedule at the time of first earnings loss.

To calculate the wage benefit for an injured worker, we need the following information:

•    The regular rate of pay earned by the worker at the start of earnings loss. 
•    The number of days in the worker’s work week. 
•    The gross average of the worker’s earnings before the start of earnings loss. 
•    The periods the worker was unavailable to work. 
•    The worker’s probable deductions for income tax, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) premiums and Employment Insurance (EI) premiums.
 

Worker’s work week

The worker’s work week at the time of injury is important because we use this schedule to pay the injured worker their earnings loss benefits. We pay based on a regular work schedule and a daily rate. A regular schedule is when the worker’s days off are consistent from week-to-week or there is a set rotation of days off over a period of weeks. In addition, if your worker has a set schedule (basis of hire) you need to let us know the schedule.

Wage example: If the injured worker has one day of time loss on a seven-day work week and the weekly wage is $700, the injured worker would receive $100. If the injured worker has one day of time loss on a five-day work week and the weekly wage is $700, the injured worker would receive $140.  

Schedule example: A regular schedule is when the worker’s days off are consistent from week to week or there is a set rotation of days off over a period of weeks. For example, the basis of hire is full time working Monday to Friday, rest days are Saturday and Sunday. The hours of work are eight-hour days or 40 hours per week at $15/hour.

The following pages contain frequently asked questions and examples to help complete the schedule information found on the Employer’s Report of Injury (E1) form.

If you need assistance completing your E1 form, contact us:

Phone: 1.800.667.7590
Email: askwcb@wcbsask.com
 

Employer’s Initial Report of Injury (E1) form – Work schedule information questions and answers

This how-to-document is to help you complete the work schedule information section on the Employer’s Initial Report of Injury (E1) form.

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A: We only need to see the regular days off indicated on the calendar. For example, if Sally works Monday to Friday and always has Saturdays and Sundays off, you would mark Saturday and Sunday in question 15 of the E1.  

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However, if Sally has an irregular work schedule and works four days a week and always gets three days off, but the days off vary from week to week, you would enter the months and the days she had off during those months on question 15 of the E1.

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A: To record an EDO on the E1 form, in the field for the month of injury, write, “EDO is every second Friday” or “EDO is every third Friday.” Provide the date of the worker’s last EDO. Please remember to mark the regular days off like Saturday and Sunday. There is no need to fill out the whole calendar.

date of the worker last EDO

A: To record an EDO on the E1 form, in the field for the month of injury, write, “EDO is every second Friday” or “EDO is every third Friday.” Provide the date of the worker’s last EDO. Please remember to mark the regular days off like Saturday and Sunday. There is no need to fill out the whole calendar.

A master rotation – What was the rotation that the worker was hired to do or what rotation is the worker currently on? This is usually produced by the scheduling department. 

An actual rotation – This takes into account switching shifts, traded shifts, picking up shifts, overtime, training days, meeting days, vacation days, etc.  This is usually produced by the payroll department.  

To help us provide earnings loss benefits, we need the established rotation at the time of the first earnings loss.  

Common rotation examples:

• Starting Feb. 6, five on, four off; repeating every nine days. 

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 • Starting Feb. 8, four on, five off; five on four off; five on five off; repeating every 28 days. 

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 • Starting Feb. 12, 10 on, four off; repeating every 14 days. 

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 • Starting Feb. 1, seven on, four off; seven on three off; repeating every 21 days.

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 • Starting Jan. 1, 21 on, seven off; repeating every 28 days. 

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 • Starting Feb. 10, two on, three off; two on two off; two on, three off; two on, three off; four on, five off (13 shifts in 28 days).

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A: You can complete a calendar form found on our website and mark the days off. The completed calendar can be uploaded using the WCB's secure document transfer or email the form to forms@wcbsask.com

A: When a worker has different days off every week, we need the following information: 

  1. On question 13 on the E1 form, select “d”. In the explanation field, put that the worker has “regular but varied days off”.
    E1form
  2. Please fill out what the worker’s actual days off are on the three-month calendar.
    workers actual days

A: In the “month of injury period” field, indicate that the worker can work any one of seven days.

month of injury period

A: When you are completing your E1, the WCB needs to know the schedule the worker was working when they start to lose time from work because of their injury. When a worker is injured, some employers switch their schedule to accommodate a return-to-work program. If a worker misses work because of the work injury after their schedule has been switched, please report the new schedule. 

A: Most self-employed people are available to work seven days a week. However, if you only work Monday to Friday, you would indicate that on the E1 form.