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Reporting a workplace injury
What to do in the first 72 hours, and who you have to tell.
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Tell your employer first
In Alberta, tell your employer as soon as the injury happens. Your employer must report to WCB within 72 hours of becoming aware of it. You submit a worker report of injury — by app, online or on paper — and your healthcare provider submits theirs. A claim number follows, and treatment is billed directly on an accepted claim.
Reporting starts with your employer. Give them the details — what happened, when, where, and what hurts. Do this as soon as you can. WCB Alberta is explicit that reporting is your right, and delays make claims harder to establish rather than easier.
Once your employer knows, they have 72 hours from becoming aware of the injury to report it to WCB.
Then file your own report
- The myWCB mobile app, which WCB describes as the fastest method
- Online at rr.wcb.ab.ca
- By fax to 780-427-5863, or by mail to PO Box 2415, Edmonton, AB T5J 2S5
Your healthcare provider files too
A WCB claim is built from three reports: yours, your employer’s, and your treating provider’s. If you are being assessed here, we submit ours. Three accounts of the same event, filed independently, is what lets WCB adjudicate.
This is one practical reason to get assessed early. A provider report written close to the injury describes what was actually found at the time.
If your employer will not report
You can report directly to WCB yourself. You do not need your employer’s cooperation or permission to file a claim, and WCB can be contacted at 1-866-922-9221. This situation comes up more often than people expect and it does not block a claim.
Related questions
How long do I have to report a work injury in Alberta?
Report to your employer as soon as you can — WCB is clear that delays complicate claims. Your employer must then report to WCB within 72 hours of becoming aware of the injury.
What if my employer won't report my injury?
You can report directly to WCB yourself, by app, online at rr.wcb.ab.ca, or by phone on 1-866-922-9221. You do not need your employer’s cooperation to file a claim.
Do I need to report a minor injury?
If it needs more than first aid, or causes any time off work, it should be reported. Minor injuries that later worsen are considerably harder to claim if nothing was filed at the time.
What if my employer tells me not to report it?
Report it anyway. You have the right to file a claim directly with WCB Alberta, and an employer cannot lawfully prevent it. WCB’s worker line is 1-866-922-9221.
Can I report an injury that happened gradually rather than in one event?
Yes. Repetitive strain injuries are recognised by WCB. Report it as soon as you connect the symptoms with the work, and describe the tasks involved.
Do I need a doctor's note to start physiotherapy?
No. Seeing a physician is part of the WCB process, but physiotherapy can start in parallel. Call (825) 525-2852 and say it is a workplace injury.
Talk to a physiotherapist in Edmonton
Vertex Physiotherapy is at 6958 76 Ave NW #205, Edmonton, AB T6B 2R2. Call (825) 525-2852 or book online, and we will match you with a physiotherapist who works with this regularly.