Workers' Compensation Insurance
This page is intended to address questions regarding Workers Compensation for employees, students, volunteers, and contractors/consultants. If you have a question that is not included in the information below, contact Risk Management and Insurance at risk@ucalgary.ca and we will assist you in locating the appropriate resource.
All Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà employees are covered by Workers' Compensation.
Reporting Employee Accidents
All employee accidents must be reported on the Online Accident Reporting System (OARS). Information on can accessed on the .
Working Outside of Alberta
If you have Alberta Workers' Compensation coverage and are temporarily working outside of Alberta, review the .
Updated: Dec. 13, 2018
Within 24 Hours of the Incident
The supervisor must complete an Online Accident Reporting System (OARS) report. The employee must complete the . Staff Wellness will complete and submit the WCB Employer report on behalf of the university.
Updated: Dec. 13, 2018
An Alberta student is a student who is registered and physically attending a Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà campus in Alberta. These students are covered by Workers' Compensation (WCB) through the Government of Alberta. See the for information on that coverage.
When Alberta students are involved in course/research work while travelling to other provinces or countries, they may also be covered by WCB.
For information on distance education students, located both within Alberta and other provinces/countries, see the applicable section below.
Updated: Dec. 13, 2018
To report an injury or accident, follow the procedure below:
- Student seeks medical attention promptly.
- Within 24 hours, the student should report all incidents, accidents or injuries to their supervisor, instructor, or university representative.
- Supervisor/Manager completes an Online Accident Report Form (OARS)
- If student is injured:
- Student must complete the WCB student - workers report and fax to WCB at 1.800.661.1993.
- Faculty/department must complete and fax the WCB student - employer report to WCB at 1.800.661.1993, retaining the original WCB Employer record.
- Ambulance costs for students who suffer an injury and are covered by Alberta WCB may have their initial ambulance bill paid by Alberta Advanced Education and Technology. Ambulance invoices should be sent to AE.DeemedWorkers@gov.ab.ca
Updated: Nov 7, 2024
All contractors and consultants performing work on Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà campuses are required to be covered by Workers Compensation insurance through their own companies. Such companies are required to provide proof of coverage prior to commencing work, by supplying a Workers' Compensation clearance letter.
Exceptions
- Where contractors/consultants hired under an Independent Contractor Agreement (ICA) are self-employed individuals and:
- do not have a WCB number
- are not operating as a corporation
- are not performing work as: an employer in that industry, a worker of another employer, a director of a corporation, a proprietor with personal coverage and, a partner in a partnership with personal coverage.
Such insurance may be provided through the university. Contact Supply Chain Management for further discussion.
- Where contractors/consultants are unable to purchase Workers' Compensation, Supply Chain Management may approve use of employer's liability insurance instead. If that is allowed, then the contractor/consulting company must indemnify the university against claims arising from the injury of their employees and sub-contractors while they are engaged in work for the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ.
The requirement for proof of Workers' Compensation coverage is reflected in all Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Purchase Orders.
Updated: Dec. 13, 2018
Volunteers of the Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà are eligible for WCB coverage if properly registered. More information about registering as a volunteer is available at Volunteer Registration and Management.
Updated: Oct 29, 2021
If a volunteer is injured during their volunteer activities, complete the following within 24 hours of the incident:
- the volunteer's supervisor must complete an Online Accident Reporting System (OARS) report.
- the volunteer must complete the
- Staff Wellness will complete and submit the WCB Employer report on behalf of the university.
Updated: Dec. 13, 2018
Where employees who are resident in Alberta are required to prove that they have WCB coverage (often a term in a contract), the department may access a WCB clearance form evidencing such.
Obtain a WCB Clearance Form
- Navigate to the
- Click Start button under "I am performing work and need a clearance on my account"
- Account Number: Type in 1420206, which is the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ's WCB number in that box
- Click Select.
- Click Next.
- For Alberta companies: type in the name of the company who is looking for the WCB Clearance Certificate and click Search. If they are in Alberta, their name should come up as an option under the Selected Account Tab. Click Select beside the correct name. It should appear in the "Selected Account" box below. Click Next
- For non-Alberta companies: type in the name of the company who is looking for the WCB clearance certificate and click Search. The system will not find a record and will display the warning "No records could be found. Please try another search". Under the company name that was entered, a tick box will appear indicating "I cannot find the company". Click on this box. A second drop down screen will appear which will allow you to enter the company name and address details (the company requesting the Clearance Letter).
- Attention to: type in the name of the individual from that company who requested the clearance certificate
- Subject line: WCB clearance certificate for XXXX (if there is a contract number or job number, add that in here).
- You have to make a choice at this point and decide if you want to send the certificate directly to them from the WCB site, or just save a pdf copy yourself.
- Send clearance to: If you want to send it to them directly, click Email and put in their email address. If you just want to save the PDF copy, type in your own email address.
- Send copy to: If you want to send it directly to them, Click Email and put in your own email address so you know that it went to them and you will have a copy for your own records. If you are going to download the PDF copy, you do not need to fill this in.
- Click View Letter PDF
- Click OK
- Check to ensure that the WCB Clearance letter looks okay. If you don't want to email it to yourself or the individual requesting it directly (i.e. you may need to send it along with other documents) you can just save the PDF on your computer at this point and/or print it off.
- Close the screen.
- If you are just saving the PDF copy, close the WCB website. If you are sending them a copy directly, click Send Letter.
Updated: Oct 24, 2023
The and the are both accessible online.
*Please use Firefox or Google Chrome browser. These links do not work with Microsoft Edge.
Updated: Jan 9th, 2024
Distance education/distance learner students who are undertaking a practicum as part of their program must complete an acknowledgement of acceptance of Workers' Compensation or no Workers' Compensation, dependent upon their province, territory, or country of residence and where they will be undertaking their practica. Choose your province of residence from the list below.
Where Workers' Compensation has been purchased for distance learners, it is only applicable when they are at a practicum site.
Alberta Distance Learner – defined as a student who is a resident of Alberta, registered at the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ, and is completing their course(s) from a location away from the UCalgary Alberta campuses with internet support.
If the student has Canadian citizenship, they are covered by Alberta WCB during their practicum activities only while on their practicum site(s). This coverage includes practica completed inside or outside of Alberta. Students must complete the Alberta Resident Student Acknowledgement and Acceptance of WCB Coverage form prior to acceptance in the program.
If a student is not a permanent resident and does not have Canadian citizenship, they are not covered by Alberta WCB. These students must complete the Student Acknowledgement and Acceptance of Student Accidental Injury Insurance Coverage form prior to acceptance in the program.
Updated: Nov 13, 2024
Distance learner students that are a Resident of British Columbia, Ontario, Northwest Territories, or Nunavut and who are undertaking their practicum in their province of residency, may be covered by Workers' Compensation by registering them with Payroll at least one month prior to the beginning of their practicum.
Students must complete the prior to acceptance in the program. The department must complete the Template for Departments Reporting Distance Education Students and email it, as an attachment to payrolluc@ucalgary.ca. If you require a Workers Compensation clearance letter, indicate this in your email.
Distance learner students that are a resident of British Columbia, Ontario, Northwest Territories, or Nunavut and are not undertaking their practicum in their province of residency, are not covered by Workers' Compensation. Students must complete the Student Acknowledgement and Acceptance of Student Accidental Injury Insurance Coverage prior to acceptance in the program.
Updated: Apr 16, 2020
Distance learner students who are a Resident of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, or Yukon and are undertaking a practicum in their province of residence or another province/country are not covered by Workers' Compensation. Student must complete the Student Acknowledgement and Acceptance of Student Accidental Injury Insurance Coverage form prior to acceptance in the program.
Updated: Apr 16, 2020
Distance learner students who are a resident of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, or Quebec and are undertaking their practicum in their province of residency, are not currently covered by Workers' Compensation. If a department wishes to investigate coverage in one of these provinces, contact the Payroll department to determine if an account can be opened in that province.
Students must complete the Student Acknowledgement and Acceptance of Student Accidental Injury Insurance Coverage form prior to acceptance in the program.
Updated: Apr 16, 2020
Distance learner students who are residents of countries outside of Canada are not covered by Workers' Compensation.
Students who are undertaking Experiential Learning in countries that are not in their home country of residence, may have coverage under the Student Accidental Injury policy. Please complete the Student Acknowledgement and Acceptance of Student Accidental Injury Insurance Coverage form prior to beginning the Experiential Learning opportunity.
Students who are undertaking Experiential Learning in their home country of residence cannot be covered with Student Accidental Injury or Workers' Compensation insurance.
Updated: Apr 13, 2021