Policy Purpose

The Workers Compensation Act (the Act) provides the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) with discretion to adjust average earnings and wage loss benefits when the WCB determines that a worker’s average earnings before the accident do not fairly represent their probable future earning capacity.

Apprentices, youthful workers and working students are three categories of workers who qualify for adjustments on this basis.

This policy outlines:

• how the WCB determines average earnings for apprentices, youthful workers and working students;
• when average earnings of these category of workers may be adjusted; and
• the amount of adjustment to these average earnings.

The policy also describes how average earnings are determined in cases where a person qualifies for more than one type of average earnings adjustment under the Act and other WCB policies.