Strategies for Health and Safety Professionals to Improve Outcomes in WCB Claims

A lack of trust happens when a person has uncertainty towards something else. It’s an alarm that says: “I don’t believe that you are going to do what you say you’re going to do.” When a company says their people matter, but then take actions that are the opposite of what they’re saying, you start to break trust. That affects your ability to improve outcomes in WCB claims.

Simply put…you didn’t do what you said (or in some cases) thought you would do in a given situation.

TL;DR: Health and Safety professionals are in a key position to shape better WCB claim outcomes. This article outlines how their role extends beyond compliance, focusing on early communication, modified duties coordination, trust-building, and ongoing worker support. It encourages proactive leadership, better integration with HR, and using leading indicators (not just lagging ones) to anticipate and prevent claim-related issues.

Where does trust break down in a company?

A lot of things on social media, business leaders, and books tells us about this magical warm and fuzzy world where every one gets along and we value our people. Yet, behind the scenes lies the truth that people would prefer to ignore. It’s like that one person in your family that everyone knows about, has to invite to the dinner party, but hopes will sit in the corner and not say anything.

I’m talking about money.

When it comes to companies or employees at the end of the day what matters is the money in your pocket and the revenue your company is generating from your contribution.

You can’t put food on your table or a roof over you head without money. A company can’t survive without turning a profit. Why then do we choose to ignore this fact?

It’s because on some levels the world is changing. Employees are looking and in many ways demanding more from the company they work for. While money is important to them, it’s becoming a smaller piece of the pie.

Back in the day, you’d go to school, get a job, buy a house, etc.

Nowadays, people can’t afford a mortgage because housing prices have skyrocketed. In most cities even rent is getting to levels that seem insane. We’re seeing more workers living at home with parents. Actively choosing to work in a job that allows them to enjoy what they do more and have more control over their daily lives.

Without the financial stress that most would be used to, that burden is either shared or non-existent with other family members.

Even those employees that do have financial obligations are changing their mindset towards wanting more from their employer.

All of this comes with a cost.

The question then becomes, with the relationship between company and employee getting worse, who’s responsible to fix this.

My answer…the company must go first.

To help illustrate my point, I will use my unique perspective of WCB claims management to highlight how a company can make changes that builds trust with their employees.

In my 20 years of working with organizations of all sizes across Canada, I have realized that the issues a company faces with WCB claims is often a window into the culture of the company.

In many ways this makes sense if you think about it. After all, you can’t judge a relationship when things are going good. You judge how strong it is by how it’s tested during difficult times.

When are things more difficult than when an employee is injured while working for you?

They are counting on you to come through and take care of them. If you don’t, it’s sending a message that you don’t care.

Understanding the Employer-Employee Relationship in Workplace Safety

If you want to understand the relationship between an employer and employee it helps to make sense of what makes a relationship work. To help you think of it in this way. Relationships are about your perception of what you’re getting and what you’re giving and why. If you can make sense of this, you’ll understand where you’re at with your employees.

In any relationship there are different levels or “states” that each party is involved with.

The first level is when someone is only interested in their needs and what they’re getting from being in a relationship with you. They’ don’t focus on what they need to give, they’re only focused on what their needs are.

E.G:
COMPANY:  I’m paying you to do your job so do it. If you don’t I’ll find someone else. 

EMPLOYEE: You’re paying me 8 hours for 12 hours of work.

If both parties stay at this level for too long eventually things don’t work out. The employer will drop the worker as soon as they are no longer getting value. The worker will quit at the first opportunity for something better.

The second level is “trading” and it’s simple to understand. If you’ve ever said to someone “I’ll do this for you, if you do this for me.” Then you were at level two.

E.G.
COMPANY: If you take on this project, we’ll look at giving you a raise.

EMPLOYEE: I’ll do the project, but I want at least a 10% raise.

Now this level seems to do better than level one, but still, it has a downside. At some point, someone is going to think…”I’m doing more than the other person. This deal isn’t fair anymore.”

The more they think about this and feel this way, the more likely they will drop down to level one. The start to focus and obsess on what they’re not getting or how they were being “screwed over” and eventually they get fired or quit.

The last level is level three. This is the level that makes the warm and fuzzy world that everyone dreams about. At this stage you’re willing to do what it takes because you believe in the other party and just want to meet their needs.

You know you’re at level three because you love what you do. In fact you sing on your drive to work every day. Your company loves you so much they lavish you with all kinds of perks to make sure you’re happy.

E.G.

COMPANY: We will provide you with a clear vision of where we’re going and everything you need to do accomplish this. We trust that you’ll do your job.

EMPLOYEE: I do what’s needed  to make the organization successful.

How Employer Behavior Builds (or Breaks) Trust at Work

Remember that trust is a feeling of certainty that you’re going to do what you said or what I expect you to do in each situation. The way you can test where you’re at is by looking at what level you’re at in the relationship.

At level one, there is no trust. Someone has broken the trust and one or both parties are focused on their own hurt feelings vs. a resolution.

When a company says things like:

• We’re a family

• Employee matter

• We take care of our people

Employees will look for evidence that this is true.

Now consider a situation where a company that says “we’re family” has a worker get injured on the job. It’s bad enough they have to go to the hospital and will need 4 weeks off work. You call an ambulance, but no one follows the worker to the hospital. Over the four weeks that they’ve been off, not one person has called to check in on them and see how they’re doing.

At the end of the four weeks the worker says they’re cleared to come back on modified duties. The employer has them come in, but doesn’t give them any real work and has them sit in a lunchroom watching Netflix.

The worker starts to get bored. They want to be more useful, so they complain to their supervisor. The supervisor gets annoyed and tells them not to create waves.

The worker finally gets cleared to go back to their normal job, and within a few days of coming back they’re fired.

A few weeks later a similar story is repeated with another employee injured on the job.

Eventually, people start to notice the pattern. They start to notice how the company is dealing with these situations. They realize that you’re not a family and in fact, they’re better off looking out for themselves because you’ve shown them you definitely won’t.

This is a clear example of why an employee won’t trust you.

Common Actions That Destroy Employee Trust

The obvious answer is anything that has to do with a criminal activity. However, there are other underlying and more subtle actions that can cause a company to raise an eyebrow and questions a worker’s motives.

They are:

• Not showing up on time
• Missing time
• Reporting injuries on a consistent basis
• Refusing to follow company procedures
• Issues with co-workers
• Committing to something and then not following through

These are only a few examples, but the common theme is behavior.

Regardless if these actions are intentional or unintentional, they can be perceived negatively and affect the way a company trust their employees.

How Companies Can Rebuild Employee Trust Through Action

They say trust is earned. I agree. Which is why I said earlier that a company must go first.

In doing so, evidence has shown that employees will reciprocate.

Where does a company begin?

Start by setting and communicating clear expectations.

Provide the proper support your employees need to be successful.

Give your people the room to do their job without micromanaging.

Evaluate. People appreciate feedback when it comes from a trusted source.

When things go wrong, hold the right people accountable. Including yourself!

If you want to know more about this check out my other blog: “How to Fix Trust and Reduce the Costs of Workplace Injuries” where I dig deeper on each of these points.

When you do this, you start to operate at level three. Because you understand your employees’ needs and they understand your needs. This provides the foundation for you to work together in meeting one another’s needs.

How to Build Workplace Trust and Reduce WCB Claims

If you’ve made it this far, you already know that building trust isn’t just the right thing to do…it’s the smart thing to do. Especially when it comes to how you manage WCB claims. The way your company responds in those moments tells your people whether they’re just a number or someone you’ll actually show up for.

That’s why I built a practical, free guide called:

How to Train Your Team to Respond to a WCB Incident

Inside, you’ll get step-by-step strategies to train your staff, give injured workers clarity, and build a workplace culture that earns trust…instead of destroying it.

If you want real change, I help companies build WCB programs that actually work, train their teams to lead with clarity, and back them up with mentorship so they’re never flying blind again. To align your safety and claims processes more effectively, consider working with a dedicated member of our WCB consulting team to bring consistency and expertise into your strategy

Let’s fix the trust gap that’s wrecking your claims, your culture, and your bottom line.