2022 premium rates
WorkSafeBC announces that the average base premium rate for 2022 is 1.55 percent of employers' assessable payroll, which has been maintained at the same level since 2018. Our strong financial results have enabled us to keep the average rate flat for 2022.
Together with worker and employer stakeholders, we're working to reduce serious injuries and enhance return-to-work opportunities. In doing this, we can collectively help to prevent injuries, improve return-to-work outcomes, and ultimately lower insurance rates.
- Find your rate
- How the rates are set
- Resources
- See also
COVID-19 claims costs and your 2022 insurance premiums
Learn more about the approach taken by WorkSafeBC to recognize the negative impact that COVID-19 claims costs may have had on employers.
Find your rate
Our classification unit, industry, and rate search engine contains information on the premium rates for 2022, as well as information from previous years.
Find my classification unit, industry, or rateYou can learn more about changes to our classification structure by downloading the 2022 classification unit changes.
How the rates are set
The Workers Compensation Act requires WorkSafeBC to set premium rates annually for employers in order to pay for the workers’ compensation system.
Employers are placed in one of 520 classification units with other similar businesses. These classification units are then placed into one of 51 insurance pools we refer to as rate groups.
Employers in each rate group pay the costs of injuries and diseases that occur to the workers within the group, with the intent that each rate group be self-sufficient with regard to compensation costs. This limits cross-subsidization between industries, maintains relatively stable insurance rates, and limits growth of unfunded liabilities in the rate groups.
Each year, costs in some rate groups go up, some go down and others stay the same. In 2022, 60 percent of employers in B.C. will experience a decrease in their industry base rate, 23 percent will see their industry base rate increase, and 17 percent will see no change.
Examples of industries with rate decreases include: Forest Fire Fighting, Orchards, Framing or Residential Forming, Helicopter Aerial Work, Electric Utilities, Taxi and Ride-hailing Service, Dump Truck Operations, Sawmills, Gas Utilities, House Construction, and Electrical Work.
Examples of industries with rate increases include: Hospitals, Supermarkets, Local Governments, Public Schools, Universities, Libraries, Independent or Private Schools, Short-Term Care, Religious Organizations, Wharf Operations, Law Enforcement, Ambulance Services, Pre-hospital Emergency Health Care, Long-Term Care, Residential Social Service Facilities, and Community Health Support Services.
Example of industries with little to no change to their rates include: Ski Hill, Shake or Shingle Mill, Courier, Gas Bar, Restaurants, Pubs, Law Office, Computer Consulting, and Business Consulting.
More information
- Special hazard classification units
- Average published base rate trend information for 2022 (in table or chart form)
- Maximum Assessable Earnings (Compensation-Related Maximum Wage Rates)
Resources
2022 Classification and rate list
This booklet lists the base rates for all industries in British Columbia for 2022.
Classification and rate setting structure changes for 2022
Each year when we set premium rates for the next year, we review the way we classify firms and industries. We are proposing to merge or move the classification units listed in this document for 2022.
Changes to classification units for 2022
Each year when we set premium rates for the next year, we review and evaluate our classification units to ensure we continue to provide fair insurance rates. The classification units in this document represent...