< PreviousDeliver Excellent ServiceThe WCB is a people organization and delivering excellent service is at the forefront of everything we do. Striving for continuous improvement is a key objective as we continue to build on our success. In 2021, we reached an important milestone with employers scoring us at 80 per cent or higher in a number of service categories in our annual employer survey. A total of 81 per cent of employers were satisfied overall with the service they received from the WCB and 87 per cent of employers would speak positively about the WCB to others (vs. 79 per cent in 2020).On the worker side, our performance was just as encouraging, with 82 per cent of workers satisfied with their overall experience and 80 per cent saying they would speak positively about their experience with the WCB to others.These results are a testament to the work we have done over the years to improve our claims processes and tailor our service delivery to meet our customers’ varied expectations and needs. One such need is our e-Health portal currently used by physiotherapists. The WCB is on track to have 55 per cent of total submissions submitted via the application and initial feedback from frequent users notes the ease of use and the ability to check quickly on the status of payments. The WCB is looking forward to expanding the service to other healthcare providers in the coming years.Another strategic focus at the WCB is harnessing the available data that, when analyzed, allows us to tailor our services to the unique needs of our customers. Strengthening our online services has proven to be a positive step with our various customers. For online chat users, 94 per cent rate the helpfulness of our WCB representatives as very good or excellent. We also had an increase in the number of employers using the online payroll reporting application, with 89 per cent of Manitoba employers using this convenient method. The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the importance a digital first technology strategy plays in delivering excellent service to our customers. While there is much more work to be done, we continue to adjust our service models to react to external forces and adopt new technologies to meet the evolving needs of our customers. Our final strategic initiative is to improve communications to our customers. Here we have made great strides over the years by introducing online chat, amalgamating our call centres, segmenting our website based on user needs and beginning to review our claimant letters. The pandemic has also allowed our in-person training programs to shift to virtual, requiring staff training and adjusting the ways we present our information. Our popular WCB Basics workshop moved from a one-day, in-person workshop to a day-and-a-half virtual workshop and multiple dates were added to meet demand. Staff are currently hard at work to get the Return to Work Basics workshop up and running in 2022.20 2021 WCB ANNUAL REPORTE-learning and webinars were the main source of education for the SAFE Work Manitoba division, which launched a multitude of offerings, including: Orientation on Safety and Health for Newcomers, Practical Tips - Mentally Healthy Workplaces During COVID-19, Safety Culture, SAFE Driving, Demystifying Occupational Hygiene, Biological Hazards, Risk Tolerance, 11 Ingredients of a Safety and Health Program and Resilient Workplaces.Virtual training has the added benefit of extending our reach to Manitoba employers who no longer have to travel to Winnipeg or Brandon. The positive feedback from participants means e-learning and webinars will continue to be vital methods of sharing information with our customers.To adapt to the changing landscape of what is considered occupational diseases, we initiated a request for proposal to research a list of occupational diseases in the province that we can presume to be work-related based on scientific research unless there is evidence to the contrary. Here, stakeholder communication will play an important role in 2022 as we seek their input in establishing occupational diseases covered by the WCB. Enhancing Injured Worker Customer Satisfactionwith case management77%with short term claims87%Improving Employer Customer Satisfaction202181%202076%2021 WCB ANNUAL REPORT 21Ensuring Prompt Customer Service Claims paid within 14 days of injury202172%Target70%Funding Target and Funding Level2021Target130.0%Finally, one of the recommendations made by the Legislative Review Committee was the establishment of an Employer Advisor Office that will help employers better understand the workers compensation system and provide them with information and resources to assist in the management of their claims. We were pleased to support the government with the planning and development of the office that will launch in 2022. By maintaining and expanding our service offerings, the WCB continued to see solid customer satisfaction scores amongst a number of key metrics. Our financial stability, even during these uncertain times, allowed the WCB to once again offer an average assessment rate of $0.95, the lowest in all of Canada.There’s no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic continued to severely impact businesses across the province. Because of the strong performance of our investment portfolio, the WCB was pleased to once again offer some financial relief to eligible employers by issuing a surplus distribution of 40 per cent of employers’ 2020 premium, which returned $71 million back to employers.150.4%22 2021 WCB ANNUAL REPORT2021 WCB ANNUAL REPORT 23Grow our PeopleAt the WCB, we have a large and diverse group of talented people who bring their knowledge and expertise to help deliver our corporate vision and mission. Our principal goal is to attract, retain and develop people who will help the organization meet our evolving needs.The commitment demonstrated by our staff in remaining flexible and agile helped ensure we continued to meet the needs of our customers and stakeholders. There’s no doubt the global pandemic presented challenges that impacted some of our key strategic initiatives, but advancements in other areas continued unabated.On the employee engagement front, the opportunity to work from home with flexible hours was a benefit to staff and their dedication to providing excellent service was reflected in the positive customer satisfaction scores. We continue to be an employer of choice, and were pleased to be recognized for the 11th successive year as one of Manitoba’s Top Employers. One mark of engaged staff is their career longevity. In 2021, we were pleased to recognize five staff who celebrated their 35th anniversary with the WCB. Another five staff celebrated 30 years and seven more marked their 25th anniversary with the WCB. In 2021, our staff turnover rate was 8.3 per cent with five per cent of this accounting for retirements. As we hire new people, the organization is further enriched by new staff who bring their diverse backgrounds and experiences to the WCB.Part of our employee engagement strategy focuses on opportunities for growth and advancement. As an organization, we are vested in our employees expanding their career paths and support their aspirations of building their careers at the WCB.To help with this, our second strategic initiative is to support employee development. WCB staff demonstrated their adaptability in the pursuit of learning and development by taking on virtual learning in the absence of classroom-based training. In 2021, this ranged from using LinkedIn Learning for technical and soft skill development to virtual conferences to expand staff’s professional knowledge. We expanded our in-house development of e-learning modules to deliver timely information and training to staff on topics such as The Accessible Employment Standard Regulation, Privacy and Safety and Health training. French language classes continued to be delivered virtually to ensure a consistent and ongoing opportunity to develop French language skills. We continue to support the ongoing growth and development of our leaders, which includes identifying and supporting future leaders who will champion the WCB’s vision as an important aspect 24 2021 WCB ANNUAL REPORTof ensuring the viability of the organization. Strong and engaged leadership is integral to our culture as it reflects the values and behaviours we aim to showcase. We look forward to introducing a designated leadership development training program in 2022.Our final strategic initiative dovetails neatly with a concerted effort to renew our succession management strategy. Our people are our greatest asset and as we continue to lose long-term employees to retirement and attrition, their valuable organizational knowledge leaves as well. To revitalize the succession management strategy, the WCB will continue to evolve its strategies and formalize plans to develop identified employees to assume critical roles and prepare the organization for the future. The focus will be to leverage the professional development and mentorship of potential leaders with an eye to meeting our long-Our Annual United Way Campaign$241,070Total DonationsStaff Contributions$120,535term goals while remaining flexible and adaptable in an ever-evolving work landscape.Finally, these days, everyone is looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. The WCB’s 2021 United Way campaign “There’s A Light” called on all staff to help support the approximately 100 United Way agencies across Manitoba helping those in need find their light at the end of the tunnel every day.It is a testament to strong leadership, dedication of our staff and the collective contributions of our people that the organization continues in its journey to achieve the vision of “A safer Manitoba that fosters prevention and return to work.”2021 WCB ANNUAL REPORT 25Employee RecruitmentInternal Candidates5832External CandidatesInvestment in Trainingoverallper full time employee$230,000 $383 Year at a Glance20212020Funded position$ 709,856,000$ 637,802,000Funded ratio150.4%143.7%Number of registered employers39,24038,073Average assessment rate (per $100 of assessable payroll)$ 0.95$ 0.95Assessment revenue, Class E employers$ 182,959,000$ 171,435,000Investment income $ 165,374,000$ 145,722,000Investment rate of return (gross)9.9%9.1%Operating expenses$ 107,062,000$ 104,035,000Financial Information26 2021 WCB ANNUAL REPORT20212020Time loss injury rate (per 100 full time workers) 2.71,22.5 Days lost to workplace injury or illness (per full time worker)1.6411.66Total injury claims 24,00322,645Time loss injury claims 12,97412,044Severe injuries3,5121 3,051Fatality claims (accepted in the year)2014Average days paid for all wage loss claims 33.234.3Claim costs incurred$ 201,438,000$ 185,718,000Claims Information1 Estimated, to be confirmed mid-2022.2 Injury rates have increased during COVID-19 due to a significant drop in the number of full time workers employed during the pandemic.2021 WCB ANNUAL REPORT 27Our CustomersWorker Satisfaction with the WCB Support for Return to Work2021202020192018201783%85%84%82%83%Customer Satisfaction – Injured WorkersOverall results2021202020192018201782%82%81%81%78%Short Term Claim results2021202020192018201787%88%88%87%84%Case Management results2021202020192018201777%76%73%73%72%Customer Satisfaction – Employers2021202020192018201781%76%73%75%76%Claims Paid Within 14 Days of Injury2021202020192018201772%74%73%72%70%Employers and Workers Likely to Speak Positively About the WCBEmployer results2021202020192018201787%79%82%82%81%Injured Workers results2021202020192018201780%80%81%80%76%Statistics and Measures28 2021 WCB ANNUAL REPORTOur SystemClaim Duration (Average Days Paid)2021202020192018201733.234.330.131.431.7Reserves and Funding (Funding Ratio) 20212020201920182017150.4%143.7%146.8%148.1%148.8%Review Office Reconsiderations – Adjudicative Decisions Confirmed2021202020192018201775%74%75%76%75%Percentage of Injured Workers Returning to Safe and Suitable Work after 10 Days2021202020192018201758%58%63%63%64%Percentage of Injured Workers Returning to Safe and Suitable Work after 60 Days2021202020192018201791%91%92%92%91%Percentage of Workforce Covered2021202020192018201773%75%78%78%77%Registered Employers2021202020192018201739,24038,07337,71137,13136,2462021 WCB ANNUAL REPORT 29Next >