UPDATED* Bill 30: An act to protect the health and well-being of working Albertans

UPDATES:

WCB is holding a number of stakeholder consultations regarding new enhancements to the workers’ compensation system that will come into effect throughout 2018. To learn more, click here.

Alberta Government has issued more information on Improved Employment Standards – some of which have come into effect as of January 1, 2018. To learn more, click here.

December 1, 2017

The Alberta Government has announced Bill 30, set to improve workplace health and safety and provide fair compensation and meaningful support to injured workers and their families. The government said changes would also ensure Alberta workers have the same rights and protections as other Canadians.

“Every Albertan should be able to go to work and come home healthy and safe at the end of the workday,” said Minister of Labour Christina Gray. “When they don’t, they deserve to have access to the medical and financial supports they need to get healthy, care for their families and return to work. This bill would better protect hardworking Albertans and provide fair compensation to Albertans injured on the job.”

The government said the bill would modernize Alberta’s health and safety system to reflect modern workplaces, increase employee participation, improve safety, and increase supports to injured workers.

“The proposed changes to the occupational health and safety system are generally in line with the oil and gas industry’s best practices,” said John Rhind, CEO, Energy Safety Canada. “Our objective as a safety association is to develop and support standards and best practices across the oil and gas industry and we see these changes as a positive step forward in advancing worker health and safety in Alberta.”

Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act sets the minimum standards for workplace health and safety, and outlines the roles and responsibilities of employers and employees. These proposed changes would better protect workers, ensure they have the same rights and protections as other Canadians, and empower them to participate in health and safety in Alberta’s workplaces.The proposed changes result from government’s review of the OHS system and the independent review of the WCB system. If passed, the majority of changes to WCB and OHS would come into effect Jan. 1 and June 1, 2018, respectively.

To read the technical briefing on Bill 30, click here.