Good afternoon everyone,

Hope you are all doing well during this time.

WorkSafeBC is actively monitoring and adjusting to the COVID-19 situation to determine how we can best support our stakeholders around the province.

We know employers are facing a number of challenges and uncertainty at this time, so we have decided to allow employers to defer payment of their Q1 2020 premiums by three months. This means employers who report payroll and make payments on a quarterly basis, as well as Personal Optional Protection (POP) coverage holders, can defer payment until June 30, 2020. Employers who report annually will not be impacted because they do not report payroll or pay premiums until March 2021.

Employers who report and pay on a quarterly basis may still find it to their advantage to report their payroll by April 20, even if they defer payment, to ensure their account balance is accurate and clearance is not negatively impacted.

We will be informing employers of their option to defer in our upcoming Q1 mailing, as well as through worksafebc.com and incoming phone messages to our Employer Service Centre. I want to make sure you had advance notice before we communicate more broadly. Please share this email as appropriate.

We know COVID-19 is expected to cause financial hardship for many of B.C.’s employers and we are hoping these measures provide them with some relief.

Thanks

Chris

Chris Back
Director, OHS Consultation & Education Services

WorkSafeBC
6951 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC
worksafebc.com