You did everything right: you reported the injury within 72 hours, you kept up with paperwork, and you’ve been paying the worker’s wages for the day of the accident. But now weeks are slipping by and the worker isn’t showing real improvement. The claim is drifting, and every day it drifts adds to your WCB costs and your experience rating. Getting the claim moving again isn’t out of your control — it starts with a few deliberate employer-driven steps.
1. Get a clear picture of where things stand
You don’t need a medical degree; you need current restrictions from a treating professional. Reach out to the worker (with care — this isn’t an interrogation) and ask for an updated functional-abilities form or a note from their doctor that spells out what they can and can’t do. If the information is vague or hasn’t been refreshed in weeks, tell your WCB adjudicator or case manager that the file feels stale. The goal isn’t to challenge the injury; it’s to make sure everyone is working off the same up-to-date medical picture.
2. Put the worker back to work — in a modified role
Alberta employers have a duty to accommodate by offering suitable modified work that fits within the worker’s physical restrictions. The work doesn’t have to be the pre-injury job; it can be lighter tasks, shorter hours, or a different location — as long as it’s productive and safe. Research consistently shows that injured workers who return to modified duties recover faster than those who stay home. Even a partial return signals to WCB that you’re actively managing the claim, and it directly reduces the wage-loss benefits charged against your account.
If you haven’t already offered a formal modified-duties plan, do it now. Write down specific tasks, hours, and how they respect the restrictions. Send the offer to the worker and copy the case manager. If the worker refuses a reasonable offer, WCB may need to reassess ongoing benefits.
3. Work directly with your WCB case manager
A stalled claim often means the file is sitting on assumptions. Pick up the phone or send a message through myWCB and ask specific questions: “What’s the current return-to-work target?” “Has the medical plateau been reached?” “Is the claim still with an adjudicator or has it moved to a case manager?” If you see something that doesn’t add up — for example, you hear the worker is doing activities that contradict the reported restrictions — let the case manager know. Employers can submit information that might prompt WCB to reconsider a decision under its new-evidence procedures.
If you’ve been paying the worker full wages directly during the disability period, make sure the case manager knows, so duplicate wage-loss cheques aren’t issued and your costs are tracked correctly. And once the worker does return in any capacity, remember that WCB requires notice within 24 hours.
4. Use the return-to-work services WCB already provides
WCB isn’t just a cheque-writer — it runs practical programs that can break a logjam.
- Occupational Injury Service (OIS): gives injured workers fast access to a doctor who specializes in work-related injuries. If the worker’s recovery is slow or the diagnosis seems unclear, ask whether an OIS referral could provide a fresh medical perspective.
- Training-on-the-Job (TOJ): helps bridge the gap when the worker can return but needs to learn a different set of duties. The program can support a temporary reassignment that keeps the worker productive while they heal.
- Millard Health workshops: offer employers guidance on tailoring RTW plans and preventing long absences. Not an instant fix for this claim, but a smart investment if you’re seeing a pattern.
5. Ask for a formal review if you’re still stuck
If weeks pass with no progress and your case manager isn’t moving the file, you can request a formal review. WCB can investigate whether the worker’s ongoing difficulties are truly a continuation of the original injury, a new recurrence, or something unrelated — and whether benefits should continue. If you have factual information that the worker has returned to another job, engaged in activities outside their restrictions, or otherwise shown a capacity for work, provide it to WCB. A stalled claim doesn’t have to go unchallenged.
Getting a claim back on track is at the heart of cost-effective claims management. Salient Health & Safety works with Alberta construction and trades employers to build return-to-work programs, communicate with case managers, and shorten claim timelines — so you pay less and your workers recover sooner. If you’d rather not manage the next stall alone, book a free discovery call or explore our WCB claims and cost management service.