There are laws to help protect you at work
Information on workplace health and safety rights available here.
If you are Injured at Work, you have the Right to Report to the WCB
The Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) handles claims related to workplace injuries and illnesses. If you are injured at work and require medical assistance or miss a day of work, the injury must be reported to the WCB.
If you are injured at work, follow these steps:
- Tell your employer
- Tell First Aid and your health care provider
- Tell the Workers’ Compensation Board (you can file a report online)
WCB is “no-fault” insurance. It does not matter if you believe the injury was your fault, or if your employer tells you it was your fault. If you are covered by the WCB, you are eligible for compensation. (*note that not all industries are required to be covered by the WCB. Find out more by contacting them.)
Contact the WCB
Toll-free phone number: 1-866-922-9221
Email: via online request
The Right to Appeal a WCB Decision
If you are not satisfied with the results of your WCB claim, you can request an appeal. You generally have one year from the date of your decision letter to begin the review/appeal process. That process can be found here.
You can also get help from the newly established Advisor Office for Alberta Workers Compensation. Their Worker Advisors provide support and advice to injured workers who need help with reviews and appeals related to a WCB claim. There is no charge for their services.
Toll-free phone number: 1-866-427-0115
Email: advisoroffice@gov.ab.ca
You have the Right to minimum Employment Standards
These rules include minimum wage, hours of work, overtime, vacation pay, being paid for training, termination, youth employment, and certain job-protected leaves.
Employment Standards is the government department responsible for administering and enforcing these minimum standards. They can answer questions about wages, vacation pay, holiday pay, hours of work, etc. You can also contact them to file a complaint if you are not being treated in accordance with these standards.
Call the province-wide toll-free number at 1-877-427-3731 or through their online form.
You have the Right to be free from Harassment and Discrimination at work
The Alberta Human Rights Commission is the agency responsible for hearing and investigating complaints of discrimination based on the protected grounds of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religious beliefs, gender, gender expression and identity, age, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, family status, source of income and sexual orientation. Find out more about the protected grounds here.
If you have concerns about your human rights in the workplace, or wish to file a complaint, you can contact the Commission on their confidential inquiry line in Edmonton at 780-427-7661 or in Calgary at 403-297-6571.
You have the Right to Form and Join Unions
In Alberta about 1/4 of the workforce belongs to a union. Many workers have formed and joined unions to improve their ability to negotiate employment contracts for better working conditions, including health and safety, higher wages, job security, extended health benefits, and more. This contract is called a Collective Bargaining Agreement, and is negotiated and agreed to by the Union and Management.
The Alberta Labour Relations Board is the provincial body that makes and enforces rules in unionized workplaces about union-management relations.
The Alberta Federation of Labour is the umbrella body for most unions in the province.
Workershelp.ca is an online outreach project for workers on employment rights.
Young Workers have Workplace Rights
Young workers are covered by most of the same rules as other workers – Occupational Health and Safety, Workers’ Compensation, Human Rights, and Employment Standards.
There are additional rules and protections specifically for workers under the age of 18, and these can be found under Employment Standards – youth employment laws.
Also see our dedicated page for Young Worker Rights.