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Standard program
Employers who have paid premiums of less than $21,000 over three years participate in the standard program of the experience rating program.
For employers with premiums less than $21,000
The standard program is based on the number of time-loss claims within the three-year evaluation window. You must have paid the minimum assessable premium in each year of the evaluation window to be eligible.
The total number of time-loss claims determines your discount or surcharge as indicated below:
| Number of Time Loss claims |
Discount | Surcharge |
| 0 | -25% | |
| 1 or 2 | No discount | No surcharge |
| 3 | +25% | |
| 4 | +50% | |
| 5 or more | +75% |
The greater the number of time-loss claims, the higher the surcharge amount. Claims recorded as time loss for medical appointments only, are excluded from the discount or surcharge calculation.
Example: An employer with no time-loss claims in three years may be eligible to receive a 25 per cent discount. An employer with four time-loss claims within the same time period will receive a 50 per cent surcharge.
Employers who move from the standard program to the advanced program will maintain their discount or pay the industry premium rate until a new claim is recorded in the most recent year of the evaluation window. This is intended to ease the transition from a frequency-based standard program to a cost-based advanced program.
Standard program frequently asked questions
A: You are a part of the standard program if you had less than $21,000 in base premiums in this evaluation window. Base premiums are calculated using the industry premium rate (before a discount/surcharge is applied).
Base premium = Assessable payroll reported by the employer/$100 x industry premium rate
Example:
- Three-year evaluation window: Claim records in 2019-2021
- Calculation year: 2022 (2023 rates calculated)
- Rate year: 2023
A: The standard program is frequency based. Your discount or surcharge is strictly based on the number of time-loss claims in the evaluation window. The greater the number of time-loss claims, the higher your surcharge will be. Time-loss claims for medical appointments only are excluded from the discount or surcharge calculation (effective 2017). The costs of claims are not considered in the standard program.
Maximum discount in standard program = 25 per cent
Maximum surcharge in standard program = 75 per cent
For a business to be eligible for a discount in the standard program, a business must have been assessed the minimum required base premium for each year in the three-year evaluation window. The minimum required base premium for each year is $100.00.
This table shows how discounts or surcharges are determined:
|
# of time-loss claims |
Discount |
Surcharge |
|
0 |
-25% |
|
|
1 or 2 |
No discount |
No surcharge |
|
3 |
|
+25% |
|
4 |
|
+50% |
|
5 or more |
|
+75% |
Calculating the net premium rate of your business under the standard program
Example of a discount:
A business in the standard program with an industry premium rate of $2.00 with zero claims in the evaluation window, would receive a 25 per cent discount. Once the experience rate discount is applied, their net premium rate will be $1.50.
Example of a surcharge:
A business in the standard program with an industry premium rate of $2.00 with eight claims in the evaluation window would receive a 75 per cent surcharge. Once the experience rating surcharge is applied, their net premium rate would be $3.50.
A: The experience rating program uses three complete years of data when calculating discounts and surcharges, which means there is a one-year delay until a claim impacts your net premium rate. For example, a claim reported in 2016 will impact your experience rating discount or surcharge in 2018, 2019 and 2020. This is because the calendar year of 2016 will be part of the evaluation window for 2018, 2019 and 2020 experience rating calculations.
A: Employers will not receive a discount if:
- A fatality has occurred in the current or previous year;
- They failed to report assessable payroll for the current year; or
- They have been convicted of a criminal offence under Section 217.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada
A: In the standard program, preventing injuries is the best way to influence your discount or surcharge, as discounts are based on the number of claims. For information on safety training and programs, please visit worksafesask.ca.
A: A WCB online account provides access to claims reports, cost statements, rate statements and much more.
For specific inquiries
If you are:
- ready to register your business
- requesting a clearance or a letter of good standing
- revising or updating your payroll
- discussing your statement of account and/or making a payment
Employer services department
Contact us
For general inquiries, contact us.
Employer Resource Centre
Claim information
For questions on your worker’s injury claim, contact us.
Operations division