Managing a claim and return-to-work collaborative planning

The goal of managing a claim is to return the worker to a productive working life. This requires the active participation of the worker, the employer and the health care community, working with the WCB in a co-operative relationship.

Effective claims management begins with prompt medical treatment, if required, and early and accurate reporting of the injury. Learn how to report a worker’s injury.

Assist the worker and the WCB in the return-to-work process

To help manage the claim, internally investigate and document the cause(s) and factors contributing to the work injury. Determine procedures or modifications to prevent similar incidents in the future. Keep accurate records of all incidents.

By receiving your report of injury quickly, the WCB can determine whether the injury is work-related and promptly provide any benefits the worker may be entitled to. This minimizes the financial and physical impact of the injury on the worker and their family.

Obtaining your worker’s medical restrictions and beginning a prompt return-to-work plan may also lessen the duration of the injury, which will help reduce the impact on your experience rating and help restore the worker’s abilities.

What happens next?

Effective claims management must involve not only the WCB, but also employers, workers and health-care providers in a collaborative relationship. The WCB uses a proactive customer care facilitator system to maximize early treatment, safe return to work and provide excellent customer service.

Claims are immediately sorted to focus attention on injuries with complications or those of a more serious, longer-term nature.

Established recovery schedules, timelines and standards result in prompt treatment and return to work.

Medical treatment and return-to-work activities may run at the same time.

Treatment, physical and psychological rehabilitation and return-to-work plans are continuously monitored to ensure the worker’s recovery and a safe return to the workplace.

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Frequently asked questions

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A: Employers, workers, care providers and the WCB must work together to prevent work injuries and, when injuries happen, get workers back to work as soon as it is medically safe. Working together, the partners will address workers’ medical needs, arrange for meaningful work during recovery and provide benefits.

As an employer, your responsibilities are to:

  • Provide a safe and healthy workplace.
  • Report each workplace injury within five days of becoming aware of it.
  • Keep in touch with the worker.
  • Work with the worker and the WCB to reduce the duration of the injury claim.
  • Modify job duties to accommodate the worker’s return to work.
  • Set up safety and injury prevention programs to prevent other injuries.

A: The WCB’s goal is to return workers to their normal activities as soon as medically safe. This requires a working partnership of the worker, employer, health care provider and the WCB. As an employer, there are things you can do:

  • Report the injury to the WCB within five days of becoming aware of the injury. 
  • Initiate and lead return-to-work planning.
  • You can help the worker to return to work by making changes to their job duties and workstation to accommodate for any restrictions caused by the injury. Your worker should give you information from their care provider about the work duties they can perform and the date you can expect them to go back to the work they were doing before the injury. The information will help you arrange temporary duties until they’re ready to go back to their usual work.
  • Continue to adjust the worker’s duties as their condition improves, based on updates provided by the care provider.

Stay in touch with your worker, their care provider, union representative and the WCB to set up and follow a return-to-work plan to get the worker back on the job as soon as it’s medically safe.

Learn more about return-to-work programs and return-to-work information for employers.

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Learn more about recovery and return to work:

Claim information

For questions on your or your worker’s injury claim, contact the WCB at

Contact our employer services department

For specific inquires if you are:

  • ready to register your business
  • requesting a clearance or a letter of good standing
  • revising or updating your payroll
  • discussing your statement of account and/or making a payment

For independent and confidential advice

If you are looking for:

A dedicated resource for supporting employers in Saskatchewan. The Employer Advisory Centre is your go-to for answering questions, providing support materials, offering advice, and connecting you with the right information and contacts.

saskemployeradvisory.ca

Employer Advisory Centre