WCB Premium Rate : What Alberta Hotels Need to Know for 2026
Great news for Alberta’s hotel industry! The Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) has announced that in 2026, hotels and convention centres (industry code 87503) will see their average employer premium rate decrease by 1.04% compared to 2025, dropping to $0.95 per $100 of insurable earnings. Meanwhile, the average rate across all Alberta industries will rise by 3.5% to $1.46 per $100 in insurable earnings.
Why This Matters
This reduction reflects the industry’s ongoing commitment to employee health and safety. By actively managing claims and reducing workplace injuries, hotels have helped lower lost-time claims, claim durations, and overall claim costs which helped achieve this positive change.
What’s Next?
Individual employer rate statements are available in mid-December. Be sure to check your myWCB portal for your 2026 premium rate details.
Keep the Momentum Going
Lower premiums don’t happen by chance; they’re the result of proactive health and safety practices. Here’s how you can continue to make an impact:
- Manage injury claims effectively. Provide timely modified work whenever possible to reduce claim costs and support recovery.
- Review your health & safety program. This is a great time to review your current program and identify where you may need more support or focus in 2026.
Top 3 Actions to Improve Your Premiums
- Participate in Elevate Hotel HR & Safety Program. This program is designed to help hotels meet legal obligations, improve workplace culture, and earn recognition for doing so. Learn more at ahla.ca/elevate.
- Identify modified work options for injured workers. Offering modified work helps reduce the cost of workplace illnesses and injuries. Ensure that this is reviewed with all team leaders and managers. It is everyone’s job to manage claims and injuries when they happen. Check out AHLA’s WCB packages on TourismWorks for return-to-work planning resources.
- Team up with safety experts for success. As the official Health and Safety Association for Alberta’s hotel industry, the AHLA strives to provide valuable and up to date health and safety resources to our members and subscribers. We have tailored training, practical tools and resources, and Safety Talks to reduce workplace risks and protect your team.
Leverage Digital Tools to Stay Ahead
The myWCB employer portal gives you access to powerful tools to understand and manage your premiums:
- Premium Rate Simulator. See how your performance impacts premiums and forecast future rates.
- Dashboards. Track claims and support workers’ recovery. If you’re unsure about anything, reach out to WCB for guidance. Our industry specialist, Deborah, is always happy to help in any way that she can. Her contact details can be found at the bottom of this blog post.
- Key Performance Indicators. Compare your modified work outcomes and lost-time claim duration with industry benchmarks.
For day-to-day support, download the myWCB employer mobile app to manage your account anytime, anywhere.
Want to Learn More?
Watch the recording of our recent webinar: ‘Understanding and Budgeting WCB Premiums’ where our WCB industry specialist, Deborah Nilsen, shares insights on analyzing current rates, forecasting trends through to 2027, and using simulation tools to make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Watch HERE.
Reach out to Deborah by email at deborah.nilsen@wcb.ab.ca or by phone at 780-498-7647.
Resources:
- TourismWorks – WCB packages for Workers and Leaders
- TourismWorks – Health and Safety Committees and Representatives Training
- TourismWorks – Occupational Health and Safety Toolkit for Hospitality
- Workers Compensation Board Alberta
