Practice Directives
Practice Directives are issued by the Compensation Practice and Quality Department to address specific compensation matters. These directives serve to support quality decision making by highlighting key adjudicative considerations consistent with the objective/principle of a particular legislative and/or policy requirement. Where necessary, Practice Directives will also provide for a supporting business process and will include adjudicative examples or job aids to demonstrate appropriate application.
Practice Directives are developed in consultation with subject matter experts within the Worker and Employer Services Division. Advice and comment is also provided by the Review Division and the Policy, Regulation and Research Division.
Prior to finalizing and issuing a new Practice Directive, a draft is provided to the Policy and Practice Consultative Committee. This is a standing committee that includes representation from the worker and employer communities.
WorkSafeBC officers are required to consider, and where appropriate, apply the guidance provided in the Practice Directives.
Compensation Practice and Quality Practice Directives
| P.D. No. |
Title | Effective date |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | Scope of Volume II of this Manual | |
| C1-1 | Effective Dates and Transition Rules | Effective Apr.1, 2003 Updated Feb. 27, 2007 (formerly PD #38A) |
| C1-2 | Binding Nature of Policy | Effective Mar. 2, 2003 Amended Apr. 22, 2003 (formerly PD #60) |
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| Chapter 3 | Compensation for Personal Injury | |
| C3-1 | Chronic Pain | Effective Jan. 1, 2003 Amended Jan. 1, 2004, Dec. 21, 2010, May 15, 2015 & Feb. 28, 2020 (formerly PD#61) |
| C3-3 |
Mental Disorder Claims |
Effective Jan. 2, 2013 Amended Jun. 21, 2013, Feb. 18, 2014, May 18, 2018, July 23, 2018, May 21, 2019 & Feb. 28, 2020 |
| C3-4 | S.5 (4) Presumption | Effective Apr. 20, 2012 Amended Feb. 28, 2020 |
| C3-5 | Compensable Consequences - Psychological Conditions | Effective Feb. 6, 2015 Amended Oct. 30, 2015 |
| C3-6 | Teachers' Participation in Extra-Employment Activities | Effective May 9, 2016 |
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| Chapter 4 | Compensation for Occupational Disease | |
| C4-1 | Adjudication of Contagious Occupational Diseases | Effective Aug. 9, 2005 Amended Jan. 1, 2004, Amended Aug. 18, 2009 & Oct. 27, 2009 (formerly BPIS#10) |
| C4-2 | Activity-Related Soft Tissue Disorder (ASTD) Claims |
Effective Jun. 15, 2004 |
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| Chapter 5 | Wage Loss Benefits | |
| C5-1 | Duration of Benefits - Age 65 |
Effective Oct. 21, 2002 |
| C5-2 | Commencement of Payments | Effective Nov. 19, 2004 (formerly BPIS#1) |
| C5-3 | Termination of Temporary Disability Benefits | Effective Dec. 21, 2004 (formerly BPIS#2) |
| C5-4 | Suspensions | Effective Mar. 29, 2010 Amended July 12, 2016 |
| C5-5 | Selective Light Employment | Effective Jan. 25, 2011 Amended Dec. 2, 2019 |
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| Chapter 6 | Permanent Disability Awards | |
| C6-1 | Permanent Partial Disability Benefits - Section 23(1) | Effective Mar. 3, 2003 Amended Dec. 2, 2019, & Feb. 28, 2020 (formerly PD#45) |
| C6-2 | Permanent Disability Benefits – Section 23(3) | Effective Apr. 26, 2012 Amended July 18, 2014 |
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| Chapter 7 | Protection of and Deductions from Benefits | |
| C7-1 | Payment of Public Trustee and Committee Fees | Effective Aug. 25, 1998 (formerly PD#19) |
| C7-3 | Overpayments | Effective Apr. 18, 2008 Amended Feb.18, 2014 (formerly BPIS#20) |
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| Chapter 9 | Average Earnings | |
| C9-1 | Coverage and Compensation for Self-Employed Persons | Effective Jun. 30, 2002 Updated Aug. 1, 2006 (formerly PD#25) |
| C9-2 | Provisional Rate | Amended effective Mar. 3, 2003 (formerly PD#30) |
| C9-3 | Net System of Compensation | Effective Jun. 30, 2002 Amended May 8, 2009 (formerly PD#32) |
| C9-4 | Initial and Long-Term Average Earnings | Amended effective Jan.1, 2016 (formerly PD#33A) |
| C9-5 | Secondary Employment | Effective Jun. 17, 2003 Amended July 1, 2012 (formerly PD#33D) |
| C9-8 | Employment Insurance Payments | Amended effective Jul.1, 2012 Amended Feb. 28, 2020 (formerly BPIS#3) |
| C9-9 | Casual Pattern of Employment | Effective Jan. 1, 2006 (formerly BPIS #13) |
| C9-10 | Workers Deducting Business and/or Equipment Expenses | Effective Aug. 1, 2006 (formerly BPIS#16) |
| C9-11 | Composition of Earnings | Effective Jan. 14, 2008 Amended Mar. 24, 2016, & Feb. 28, 2020 (formerly BPIS#19) |
| C9-12 | Long Term Average Earnings: Section 33.4 - Exceptional Circumstances | Effective May 1, 2008 Amended Feb. 28, 2020 (formerly BPIS#21) |
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| Chapter 10 | Health Care | |
| C10-1 | Claims with Opioids, Sedative/Hypnotics or Other Prescribed Potentially Addictive Drugs | Effective Jan. 1, 2015 Amended date Nov. 29, 2019 |
| C10-2 | Income Loss Payments | Effective Mar. 3, 2003 Amended March 1, 2017 (formerly PD#C9-7) |
| C10-3 | Additional Benefits for Severely Disabled Workers |
Effective July 12, 2016 |
| C10-4 | Independence and Home Maintenance Allowance | Effective July 12, 2016 |
| C5-4 | Suspensions | Effective Mar. 29, 2010 Amended July 12, 2016 |
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| Chapter 11 | Vocational Rehabilitation | |
| C11-1 | Continuity of Income (Code R) Benefits | Effective Mar. 3, 2003 Amended Feb. 28, 2020 (formerly PD#18) |
| C11-2 | Vocational Rehabilitation Programs & Services | Effective Nov. 1, 2002 Amended Sept. 1, 2015, & Feb. 28, 2020 (formerly PD#51) |
| C11-3 | Vocational Rehabilitation Extent of Service | Effective Nov. 1, 2002 Amended Sept. 1, 2015, & Feb. 28, 2020 (formerly PD#52) |
| C11-4 | Vocational Rehabilitation Relocation | Effective Nov. 1, 2002 Amended Jan. 29, 2003 (formerly PD#54) |
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| Chapter 12 | Claims Procedures | |
| C12-1 | Disclosure of Personal Information | Amended effective Mar. 3, 2003 (formerly PD#8) |
| C12-2 | Violations of the Act: Agreement to Forego Benefits and Employers Preventing Reporting | Effective Dec. 17, 2001 Amended Dec. 2, 2019 (formerly PD#26) |
| C12-5 | Authorization for Obtaining and Releasing Personal Information | Effective Oct. 1, 2008 Amended Apr. 11, 2018 (formerly PD#63) |
| C12-6 | Implementation of Appellate Decisions | Effective Jul. 4, 2005 Amended Jan. 28, 2016 (formerly BPIS#9) |
| C12-7 | Surveillance and Other Evidence | Effective May 2, 2007 Amended Mar. 24, 2016, & Feb. 28, 2020 (formerly BPIS#18) |
| C12-8 | Managing Claims of Psychologically Fragile Workers | Effective Oct. 24, 2008 Amended Mar. 29, 2010 |
| C12-9 | Responding to a Risk or Threat of Suicide | Effective Oct. 24, 2008 Amended June 1, 2017 |
| C5-4 | Suspensions | Effective Mar. 29, 2010 Amended July 12, 2016 |
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| Chapter 14 | Changing Previous Decisions | |
| C14-1 | Bill 63 Effective Dates and Transition Rules for Reopenings, Reconsiderations, Reviews and Appeals | Effective Mar. 3, 2003 (formerly PD#57) |
| C14-2 | Reconsiderations | Effective Mar. 31, 2005 Amended Sept. 30, 2013 (formerly BPIS#5) |
| C14-3 | Reopenings | Mar. 31, 2005 Amended Jan. 30, 2015 (formerly BPIS#6) |
| C14-4 | Findings of Fact | Effective Jun. 26, 2006 (formerly BPIS#14) |
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| Chapter 16 | Third Party/Out-of-Province Claims | |
| C16-1 | Inter-jurisdictional Claims | Effective May 25, 1998 (formerly PD#15) |
| C16-2 | Interim Third Party Business | Effective Dec. 14, 1998 Amended Jun. 8, 2009 (formerly PD#20) |
| C16-3 | Out-Of-Province Injuries | Effective Oct. 12, 2005 Amended Feb. 28, 2020 (formerly BPIS#11) |
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| Chapter 17 | Charging of Claim Costs | |
| C17-1 | S. 39(1)(e) - Relief of Costs: Eligibility and Application | Effective May 12, 2005 Amended May 3, 2013 (formerly BPIS#7) |
| C17-2 | Experience Rating Cost Exclusions | Effective Jul. 4, 2005 (formerly BPIS#8) |
| C17-3 | S. 39(1)(e) - Relief of Costs: Evaluation and Determination of the Amount | Effective Nov. 2, 2005 Amended Nov. 8, 2017 (formerly BPIS#12) |
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| Chapter 18 | Retirement Benefits | |
| C18-1 | Retirement Benefits | Effective Jul. 16, 2002 (formerly PD#48) |
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Archived Best Practices Information Sheets
Archived Compensation Practice Directives
Archived Disability Awards-Additional Factors
Related Practices
Disability Awards - S.23(1) Specifications and Calculations
Permanent Disability Awards for Loss of Range of Motion - Chronic Pain (Jozipovic Decision)
Practice Q&A: Mental Disorder Claims - Eligible Occupations under the Presumption
Psychological Impairment Guidelines
Vocational Rehabilitation – VR Worker Travel Expenditure Guidelines