Regina, Sask., Oct. 28, 2025 – A 30-day public consultation process period begins today for Saskatchewan employers to provide feedback on the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) 2026 preliminary average rate. The WCB announced the 2026 preliminary average employer premium rate will decrease by six cents to $1.22 from the rate of $1.28 per hundred dollars of assessable payroll.
If approved, Saskatchewan’s proposed 2026 average premium rate would be among the lowest average premium rates in Canada. The announcement was made at the WCB’s public preliminary rate information meeting with Saskatchewan employers, workers and partners.
“Each year, we use our rate model to determine the following year’s rates. The rate model is our primary tool to forecast future rates,” said the WCB’s chair, Gord Dobrowolsky. “When we consider our strong performance in a number of areas including investments, we are proposing a decrease in our average premium rate.”
The WCB’s sufficiency policy establishes guidelines for the WCB to maintain a fully funded status and it sets a target range for the injury fund of between 100 and 140 per cent. The WCB remains within the target range.
“While we have not exceeded the target range of the sufficiency ratio, we are seeing sustainable performance of the system. For 2026, we are seeing growth in total assessable payroll because of wage inflation and workforce growth. Despite durations stabilizing, we are seeing increases in claim costs and improved injury rates,” said Dobrowolsky. “The board balances all of these factors to arrive at the six-cent decrease, bringing the 2026 preliminary average premium rate to $1.22.”
The WCB holds this public consultation meeting to announce the following year’s preliminary average premium rate and to provide an overview of the rate setting process. This includes a review of the experience rating program and key factors that influence premium rates. The WCB then provides a 30-day public consultation period for employers to offer feedback into the preliminary premium rates.
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system based on collective liability, where all employers share responsibility for workplace injury insurance. Employers are grouped together to form an industry rate code. Premium rates are set for each rate code based on the collective claims experience of employers within each industry rate code. All employers within an industry rate code start with the same industry premium rate. The experience rating program allows employers to influence their premium rates either up or down depending on their performance.
With the 2026 preliminary rate proposal:
- The WCB remains within the sufficiency policy target range of between 100 and 140 per cent.
- The overall 2026 proposed average preliminary premium rate will decrease to $1.22 per hundred dollars of payroll, a six-cent decrease from the 2025 rate of $1.28.
- Industry premium rates for approximately 96 per cent of Saskatchewan’s employers covered by the WCB will see a decrease or no change for 2026.
- Industry premium rates for approximately four per cent of Saskatchewan’s employers in four rate codes covered by the WCB will increase next year.
The WCB works to uphold a balance between stable rates that ensure fairness, transparency, collective liability, predictability and a fully funded compensation system. The WCB maintains a strong funded position and has also optimized its investment strategy to protect the long-term expected return on its investments. In addition to providing feedback during the public consultation period, employers can influence their individual premium rate through effective injury prevention and return-to-work programs. The degree to which employers in an industry work to eliminate workplace injuries also affects industry premium rates. Employers with a fully functioning safety management system and a solid return-to-work program can help prevent and manage work-related injuries.
“When injuries occur in the workplace, we need to rely on thorough rehabilitation and strong return-to-work systems to support the healthy and sustainable recovery from injury or illness,” said the WCB’s CEO, Phillip Germain. “The recovery and return-to-work process requires the active involvement of the worker, employer and health-care providers to function effectively. By working together to reduce serious injuries, reduce fatalities and improve return-to-work outcomes, we can create better outcomes for all customers and help prevent premium rates from increasing.”
In 2024, for the fifth year in a row, 90 per cent of employers in the province achieved zero injuries and zero fatalities in their workplaces. On an annual basis, serious injuries account for approximately 11 to 15 per cent of total claims and more than 80 per cent of claim costs in the system.
WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the partnership between the WCB and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, will continue to work with the rate codes and employers with the highest injury rates as part of its 2023-2028 Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy. The programs outlined in the strategy are designed to support employers and workers in making Saskatchewan a safer place to work.
“The WCB remains committed to fostering an environment where employers and workers value the safety and prevention of work-related injuries, fatalities and disabilities. This includes maintaining proactive communication with workers and employers and working together with health-care providers to create effective return-to-work plans.” said Germain. “By continuing these collaborative efforts, we can help reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities which deeply affect individuals, families and communities.”