2019 premium rates

WorkSafeBC announces that the average base rate for 2019 is maintained at the same level as 2018, at 1.55% of employers' assessable payroll.

Lower claims costs and strong investment returns have enabled us to keep the average rate flat for 2019.

Together with worker and employer stakeholders, we're working to reduce serious injuries and enhance return-to-work opportunities. In doing this, we can collectively help to prevent injuries, improve return-to-work outcomes, and ultimately lower insurance rates.

How the rates are set

The Workers Compensation Act requires WorkSafeBC to set premium rates annually for employers in order to pay for the workers’ compensation system.

Employers are placed in one of 547 classification units with other similar businesses. These classification units are then placed into one of 51 insurance pools we refer to as rate groups.

Employers in each rate group pay the costs of injuries and diseases that occur to the workers within the group, with the intent that each rate group be self-sufficient with regard to compensation costs. This limits cross-subsidization between industries, maintains relatively stable insurance rates, and limits growth of unfunded liabilities in the rate groups.

Each year, costs in some rate groups go up, some go down and others stay the same. In 2019, 51% of employers in B.C. are projected to experience a decrease in their industry base rate, 46% will see their industry base rate increase, and 3% will see no change.

Examples of industries with rate decreases include: Waterfront Industries, Commercial Construction, Framing or Residential Forming, Trucking, Courier, Ranch, Railways, Short Term Care, Forest Fire Fighting, Landscaping, Domestic Childcare, and General Retail.

Examples of industries with rate increases include: Pre-hospital Emergency Health Care, Log Hauling, Veterinary Hospital, Multimedia Services, Local Government, Residential Construction, Community Health Support Services, Hospitals, and Tree Services.

Example of industries with little to no change to their rates include: Ground Skidding, Overnight Accommodation, Wooden Post or Pole Manufacture, Limousine Service, Law Office, Materials or Light Equipment Testing and Street Cleaning.