WCB-Alberta Experience Rating

How experience rating works

WCB-Alberta compares your actual claims costs over the past three years to what would be expected for an employer of your size in your industry. If your claims are lower than expected, your rate goes down. If your claims are higher than expected, your rate goes up.

The adjustment is not immediate — it reflects a rolling three-year window. A bad year affects your rate for three years. A good year starts improving your rate the following year.

What drives claims costs

The two biggest drivers of WCB claims costs are claim frequency (how many claims you have) and claim severity (how long workers are off work and how much medical treatment is required). A single serious injury can affect an employer's experience rating for years.

Early and safe return to work programs are one of the most effective ways to manage claims costs — getting injured workers back to modified duties reduces the duration of claims and the total cost.

Experience rating and COR

COR and experience rating work together. COR qualifies the employer for the PIR rebate, which is a direct reduction in premiums. Experience rating adjusts the base premium based on claims history. An employer with both a good experience rating and a current COR certificate pays significantly less in WCB premiums than an employer with neither.