Account Registration Help

Personal Coverage

Who is Personal Coverage for?

Personal coverage is available for the following individuals:

Directors of a corporation or members of a society, board, authority, commission or foundation,
Partners in a partnership, or
Business owners with or without workers.

These individuals have the option to purchase personal coverage at any time and they are not automatically covered until the request is approved by WCB- Alberta (WCB).

Personal coverage must be at least equal to the current personal coverage minimum for each personal coverage holder. In the case of a work-related injury, WCB pays 90 percent of net pay based on the lesser of the amount of coverage purchased, the Guaranteed Coverage Amount (when applicable) or the amount that can be proven as actual earnings. For Guaranteed Coverage Amounts, click here.

It's important to base personal coverage on actual employment earnings (earnings before tax, CPP and EI deductions). This amount will be used to determine the amount you receive if you are hurt at work.

Dividends and shareholder loans are not covered as employment income and corporate tax returns are not accepted as proof of earnings.

This optional coverage may be terminated by WCB due to non-payment of premiums. Even if payment is made in full on your overdue account, you must call to reactivate personal coverage. It does not reinstate automatically.

What are the benefits of Personal Coverage?

Some of the important benefits of personal coverage:

Protection against loss of employment income. If your injury or illness is work related and you are unable to work, you will receive compensation for lost earnings.
Comprehensive medical and rehabilitation services. With no preset limits, these services help you return to work.
Risk management. Workers' compensation is the only insurance that offers protection from lawsuits for you and other covered parties.
A smoother bidding process. Personal coverage is a requirement of some contracts.

To request personal coverage

Click on the "Add Personal Coverage Holder" button to request personal coverage. Before coverage can be completed, WCB will have to review the application to ensure that the applicant qualifies under the Workers' Compensation Act.

The personal coverage holder birth date is required in order to validate identity. The social insurance number is optional, but can be useful in confirming identity. Consistent with federal legislation, we will not share your SIN or use it for any purpose other than confirming identity.

Earning coverage amount

Enter the amount of earnings that you would like to insure. The Earning Coverage Amount must be between the personal coverage minimum and the maximum assessable earnings.

The amount of coverage selected should accurately match business owner earnings, since injury benefits will be based on this amount. In some industries, applicants can purchase coverage as much as WCB's Guaranteed Coverage Amount (GCA) for their industry, without the need to validate earnings. In the case of a work-related injury, WCB pays 90 percent of net pay based on the lesser of the amount of coverage purchased, the Guaranteed Coverage Amount (when applicable) or the amount that can be proven as actual earnings. For Guaranteed Coverage Amounts, click here.

To save your changes, click the button. To cancel your changes, click the button.

If you operate in more than one industry, WCB will contact you to determine the industry under which your personal coverage should be assigned, or whether coverage should be split across industries.

For more information, call us at 780‑498‑3999. You can call toll-free from within Alberta by phoning 1‑866‑922‑9221 and entering 780‑498‑3999. Out-of-Alberta, phone 1‑800‑661‑9608 toll-free.