Manitoba Labour and Immigration
Worker Advisor Fact Sheets
- What are Average Earnings?
- Why would my payments be reviewed?
- When are my payments reviewed?
- How do you do the average earnings review?
- What types of income does the wcb include in my average yearly earnings?
- If my benefits change because of the review, when does the change become effective?
"Average earnings" is a term used to describe your loss of earning capacity. Typically, this is an average of all your employment related earnings for one, or in some cases two years, prior to your injury. The Workers Compensation Board can look at more than one year's earnings to find out what most accurately represents your loss of earnings.
WCB wants to pay you the amount that best reflects your actual loss of earnings. However, when your claim is accepted, WCB wants to make sure you get paid as quickly as possible. To do this, WCB uses the information on your file that represents your earnings at the time of your accident. If this information is incomplete, it may not represent your actual loss of earnings.
For example, WCB would review your payments if you are affected by:
- Shift premiums, overtime, or bonuses
- Seasonal lay-off
- Periods of unemployment because you were unavailable for work
- Other employment income
Because these are part of your usual earnings, WCB wants to make sure they are included in calculating your benefits. A review of all your earnings information ensures you receive what you are entitled to.
To help ensure your payments are accurate, it is important for you to send your report form in as soon as you can. If you don't have all the information for the form still send it in and forward the additional information as soon as you receive it.
Payments are automatically reviewed after you receive twelve weeks of benefits.
In addition, you can request a review at any stage in your claim, even before WCB starts its review, if the amount you are receiving does not seem to reflect what you normally earn. If you ask for this review, you must provide any information that would support your request including a certified copy of your Income Tax form (T4) from Revenue Canada. Remember to include proof of income from other jobs you can no longer do because of your work-related injury including bonuses, piecework income, self-employment income, etc. You should also include income you received from Employment Insurance, if any.
To do this review, WCB request your Income Tax statements from Revenue Canada for the previous year(s). (This is why you are asked to sign a release for the information on the back of the Worker's First Report of Injury form.)
Your total employment income is averaged over the tax year(s) it was earned. If for some reason this average doesn't accurately reflect your salary, WCB will get further information to confirm your earnings in your current employment situation from you and your employer. For example, if you were unable to work because of a medical condition, WCB will look at deleting the periods you were unable to work.
WCB will consider all verifiable income when calculating your average yearly earnings. This includes income from other jobs you are unable to perform because of your work-related injury, including information from Employment Insurance, as well as bonuses, overtime, piecework, self-employment, etc. This income must be verified by Revenue Canada or other official statements.
If you are entitled to a higher rate of pay, your increase will be effective the date of your injury and an adjustment will be sent to you.
If your payments are lowered as a result of the review, they will be reduced effective your thirteenth week of payments.
