< PreviousBy statute, the Board of Directors consists of 10 members appointed by the Government of Manitoba after consultation with employers, workers and the public. The tripartite representation includes a neutral Board Chairperson, three representatives of employers, three representatives of workers and three representatives of the public interest. The President and CEO is a non-voting member of the Board.As stewards of the compensation system, the Board of Directors plans for its future. The Board of Directors sets the WCB’s strategic direction; makes policies about compensation, rehabilitation, assessment, prevention and investment of the funds within the investment portfolio; and monitors progress in these areas.AAudit Committee External Member – Donald SobkowFFinance CommitteeIInvestment Committee External Members – Brad Peacock, Cathy Rolland and Nestor TheodorouGGovernance CommitteePPrevention Committee External Members – Neal Curry; Rick Farley; Dennis Nikkel, Chief Prevention Officer; Steven Spry, Assistant Deputy Minister, Growth, Enterprise and TradeThe Chairperson of the Board of Directors and the President and CEO are members of all committees. For a description of the responsibilities of each committee, see the Terms of Reference available at www.wcb.mb.ca/board-and-executive. OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND BOARD COMMITTEES REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST:Peter DyckSonya PennerElizabeth RobertsMichael D. Werier, ChairpersonWinston Maharaj, President and CEOREPRESENTATIVES OF EMPLOYERS:Ron KoslowskyChris LorencYvette MilnerREPRESENTATIVES OF WORKERS:Jean-Guy BourgeoisSylvia FarleyMarc LafondI FPA GG PAI FA PGI F10 WCB 2018 ANNUAL REPORTOur Executive Management Committee oversees the strategic direction of the WCB and leads a diverse group of employees who fulfill the WCB’s vision of being A trusted partner, insuring today and building a safer tomorrow.WINSTON MAHARAJ President and CEOSHANNON EARLE Vice President, Human Resources and StrategyANDRIA McCAUGHAN Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Administrative ServicesLORI FERGUSON SAIN General Counsel and Vice President, Compliance and Corporate ServicesRENZO BORGESA Vice President, Assessments, Innovation and TechnologyJAMIE HALL Chief Operating Officer, SAFE Work ManitobaDARREN ORYNIAK Vice President, Compensation ServicesOUR LEADERS EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE WCB 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 11The WCB’s commitment to putting our customers at the centre of all we do is reflected in increasing customer satisfaction scores. It is a trend the WCB has focused on for a number of years with the implementation of a number of customer initiatives aimed at changing the way customers interact with our organization.Our diligence in building capacity that enhances our responsiveness to customer needs is at the forefront of our Customer Service Centre. Here, knowledgeable employees are empowered to help injured workers with their claims by answering questions and approving certain medical expenses. By streamlining our operations we are becoming more agile in meeting our customers’ needs. The adherence to best practices in our case management area, along with the noticeable improvements our customers have experienced, is laying the foundation for future best practice initiatives in other areas within the Compensation Services division. Along with a robust quality program that continually monitors, analyzes and recommends improvements to claims management, the focus continues to be listening to our customers and responding to their needs. Being responsive is what led the WCB to add another communication channel when it comes to reporting injuries. In addition to in-person and telephone, workers are now able to report a workplace injury or illness online via the WCB’s new secure application OUR CUSTOMERS12 WCB 2018 ANNUAL REPORTfound on our website. No matter the time of day an injury happens in the workplace, online reporting removes the constraint of contacting the WCB during regular business hours, a much-needed service for today’s flexible and mobile workforce. Faster and easier reporting translates to faster treatment and a faster Return to Health and Work.We are also being responsive to employers’ needs by creating a new online analytical tool called Employer Insight. The online application provides employers with assessment, claim, injury, Return to Work and prevention information in a visually appealing and interactive manner and leverages the WCB’s business intelligence capabilities. With this new digital tool, we are enhancing the decision-making capabilities for employers. An initial pilot launch of the application was tested with further implementation to take place later in 2019.We continually monitor how our efforts to improve customer service are received by both employers and injured workers. Our ongoing surveys show we are on the right track with 75 per cent of registered employers and 81 per cent of injured workers saying they are satisfied with the WCB.ENSURING PROMPT CUSTOMER SERVICECLAIMS PAID WITHIN 14 DAYS OF INJURY 72%RESULTTARGETIMPROVING EMPLOYER CUSTOMER SATISFACTION201471%201776%201672%201571%201875%WITH SHORT TERM CLAIMS2017 - 84% 2016 - 80% 2015 - 77%2014 - 77%WITH CASE MANAGEMENT2017 - 72%2016 - 69% 2015 - 64%2014 - 61%ENHANCING INJURED WORKER CUSTOMER SATISFACTION2018 87%2018 73%70%WCB 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 13The WCB serves 78 per cent of the Manitoba workforce and insures more than 37,000 employers. Our insurance coverage provides employers the security of knowing their employees will receive benefits and services in the event of a workplace injury or illness.Efforts made by employers and workers in injury prevention and Return to Work created positive financial outcomes that were, unfortunately, negatively offset by investment market volatility in the latter part of 2018. As a result, the WCB experienced an operating deficit of $53 million but maintained a healthy financial position due to reserves that are in place to protect the system against such risks. This deficit will decrease the funding ratio to 148 per cent (149 per cent in 2017), still well above the funding target of 130 per cent. Plans are in place to prudently begin returning a portion of the surplus to employers next year based on a structured framework. The WCB average assessment will remain at $0.95, a 14 percent decrease from the previous year ($1.10 in 2017), and the lowest in the country. In 2018, over 90 per cent of employers saw a decrease in their rates and overall, employers paid $29 million less in premiums compared to 2017. The WCB’s efforts on system efficiencies and creating partnerships with industries and workers are reducing costs and bringing greater value to Manitobans.Our judicious stewardship of the workers compensation system has resulted in our administrative costs per time loss injury being the third lowest in 2017 when compared to other Canadian jurisdictions. It is further proof that we are adept at managing a complex social and financial system that is integral to Manitobans.For the past several years, Manitoba’s system efficiency as measured by “Administration Costs per Time Loss Injury” has been the third lowest among all Canadian WCBs.AMONG THE LOWEST ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS IN CANADAOUR SYSTEM 14 WCB 2018 ANNUAL REPORTWork also continued on our multi-year program to transition our rate model to be more fair and balanced. In 2018, we introduced a feature called the experience factor. For large employers, this means that their individual claims experience will carry more weight whereas for small and medium employers, their industry’s experience will carry more weight. These changes help to more fairly balance individual versus collective risk, based on relative size. In accordance with the Customer Service Standard established under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA), the WCB is working towards making our goods and services more accessible to the public. To that end, the WCB developed training modules so that staff understand how to interact and communicate with people disabled by barriers and assist those who are having difficulty accessing our goods and services.Protecting employer and injured worker information is paramount to the work we do. Therefore, we also continued training staff to help them safeguard the personal and private information of our customers.OUR SYSTEM HELPS INJURED WORKERS RETURN TO HEALTH AND MEANINGFUL WORK TARGET - 70%TARGET - 95%63%AFTER 10 DAYSAFTER 60 DAYS92%RESERVES AND FUNDINGTARGET 2018 130%148%WCB 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 15Providing benefits and services to injured workers requires working closely with our partners. To that end, the WCB continues to foster positive relationships by meeting regularly with healthcare organizations to share the work being done by the WCB with respect to Return to Work programs and services. As well, for the last number of years, the WCB has been working collaboratively to develop an electronic solution to better manage healthcare reports and billings. In the fall of 2018, the WCB, in conjunction with a select group of physiotherapists, launched a pilot program to test a new e-health application. E-health is a game changer for all involved. The process of receiving and processing electronic healthcare forms and invoices requires less manual data entry and ensures claims are adjudicated faster and invoices paid sooner with the end goal of enhancing the WCB’s Return to Work efforts. A secondary benefit will be the business intelligence capabilities gained by replacing images with fielded data to identify trends or process improvement opportunities. The goal is to roll out the e-health program to all physiotherapists by the end of 2019 and then expand to include the remaining healthcare providers.In 2018, we also partnered with the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce to launch the first-ever WCB Return to Work Award as part of the Chambers’ annual Manitoba Business Awards. Presented and judged by the WCB, the new award will now be presented annually to the Manitoba business that GROWING INDUSTRY-BASED SAFETY PROGRAMSWCB-Covered Payroll Served 2017 45%2016 32%OUR PARTNERS 2018 46%16 WCB 2018 ANNUAL REPORThas developed the most outstanding Return to Work program. Applicants are evaluated based on their ability to develop a culture of Return to Work in their organization with measurable results. The first recipient of the award was Federated Co-operatives Ltd., Winnipeg Distribution Centre. The WCB – along with CPHR Manitoba, Johnston Group and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority – also entered into a partnership with the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce to support their Healthy Workplaces initiative. The project is a collaborative effort focused on bringing together information, tools and resources to help both employers and employees make their workplaces healthy and safe. This includes providing important information and guidance on such topics as injury prevention and Return to Work.Our work in building a safer Manitoba also means the community of prevention partners continues to grow and flourish in Manitoba. There are now seven industry-based safety programs (IBSPs), the newest being an IBSP for self-insured employers. These important safety partners deliver industry-relevant services and have increased the capacity and access to quality safety services in the industries that they serve.Partnering with labour groups is also important to the WCB and we regularly consult with various union groups including the Manitoba Federation of Labour on a number of strategic initiatives, including our Return to Work and SAFE Work plans.We also continue to offer grants to individuals and groups that support projects on injury prevention, occupational diseases and illnesses and Return to Work of injured workers by way of our Research and Workplace Innovation Program (RWIP).COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS PROMOTING STRATEGIC INITIATIVESRETURN TO WORK AWARENESSYOUTH EDUCATIONROAD SAFETY AWARENESSWCB 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 17OUR PEOPLE Providing excellent customer service requires a dedicated group of employees who are passionate about helping people. At the WCB, a diverse group of people come together to fulfill the vision and mission of the organization. Helping people means learning to recognize and empathize with individuals who are struggling, whether that’s an injured worker or even a co-worker. With greater societal awareness of mental health issues, the WCB made efforts to bring mental health knowledge to our staff. We ensured all leaders completed a Mental Health@Work Leadership Certificate Program and offered general mental health awareness workshops to staff. By the end of 2018, over 85 per cent of staff took part in this learning initiative.The WCB also continues to invest in training initiatives in a number of areas, including privacy, respect and ethics. In 2018, we debuted two additional e-learning modules that focused on general awareness of staff obligations regarding privacy and confidentiality.Introducing and strengthening French language skills was also a priority undertaken at the WCB with lunch time French language classes aimed at beginner to advanced students. Creating spaces that allow for collaboration, increase productivity and streamline workflows was the goal in renovating two floors at 333 Broadway. In 2018, a number of Compensation Services staff moved into the first completed renovated floor at 333 Broadway. This multi-year project brings in more natural light, opens sight lines and provides cutting edge training rooms. We now have work spaces that help create a synergy amongst staff that, in turn, helps drive us in delivering OUR ANNUAL UNITED WAY CAMPAIGNSTAFF CONTRIBUTIONS $128,452STAFF PARTICIPATION 71%TOTAL DONATIONS $256,90418 WCB 2018 ANNUAL REPORTexceptional service to our customers and creates a standard for our future space planning initiatives.We also continued to engage and work collaboratively by having joint management and union committees on a number of fronts, including those that encourage diversity. To help people in the community we participated in a number of fundraising activities, including the Heart and Stroke’s Big Bike event and the CIBC Run for the Cure. A number of staff also gave a helping hand to Koats for Kids and the holiday season always sees a number of donation drives happening throughout the company which helps those Manitobans who need our support.The WCB as an organization has always placed great importance on being a leader in the community. As such, our main fundraising activity for the past number of decades is the United Way. In 2018, we had our first-ever Winnipeg Jets theme, designed to capture and build on the excitement the Winnipeg Jets gave our city and province during the 2017/2018 playoffs. Our theme, “Promise of a New Season”, delivered and we increased our overall staff donations to $128,452.All of our efforts resulted, once again, in the WCB being recognized as a Top 30 employer. This is the eighth consecutive year the WCB has received this special designation that recognizes Manitoba employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. In compliance with The Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act, the WCB has whistleblower disclosure procedures in place. There were no disclosures reported in 2018.EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENTTARGET 70%RESULT 65%WCB 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 19Next >