In March 2016, the Government of Alberta launched a formal
review of the workers' compensation system and established an
independent panel to examine the system and make recommendations.
The panel received feedback from the public and held various
consultation sessions with injured workers, safety associations and
several other interested parties. The panel completed its review
earlier this year and submitted its final report to the Ministry of
Labour. That report was recently released and can be accessed on
the Government of Alberta's website here.
The panel's report noted that while there are clearly many
issues with the workers' compensation system, overall, it
continues to be valued by both workers and employers. Both sides
generally continue to see it as a preferable alternative to
litigation. However, the report pointed out that while most claims
are dealt with relatively well, more complex claims often give rise
to considerable issues, causing frustration to
