Freedom of information and protection of privacy (FOIP)

In most cases, you do not need to submit a formal FOIP request to obtain a copy of your claim file documents. Workers, employers and their designated representatives can request copies of their claim file(s) through a simple request. Call our Customer Contact Centre, contact our Access to Information team or speak with your claim owner.

Law firms and insurance companies can request copies of claim file documentation by contacting our Access to Information team directly by emailing ati@wcb.ab.ca.

If the business area cannot provide the information to you, you can submit a formal request for the information.

You can request access to:

1. Personal information — You can request records that contain your own personal information or that of an individual you are authorized to represent.
2. General information — You can request records that do not contain your personal information or that of an individual you are authorized to represent. Requests for general information are usually for recorded information about our operations and business activities, such as those related to employers and industry data, budgets, contracts, reports, statistics etc.

Under privacy legislation, we may not be able to provide you with all the information you request. Some situations include, but are not limited to, cases in which the information:

• Mentions other persons
• Is subject to solicitor-client privilege
• May reveal consultations or deliberations involving our employees
• Is no longer retained by us
• Cannot be disclosed for legal, enforcement or investigative reasons

If we cannot give you access to the information we will explain why.

Typically, every reasonable effort is made to respond to your request within 30 calendar days from the date we receive your request. However, there are circumstances under the FOIP Act where we are permitted to extend the time limit beyond the 30 days.

Submitting a FOIP request

Individuals are required to complete and submit a request to access information form to the FOIP Office. Our internal FOIP Office processes all FOIP requests.

Upon receipt of the form, we will assign a FOIP Office team member to assist you with your request. The team member will connect with you to acknowledge your request and ask for more information if they require clarification on the records you are seeking.

Applicable fees

Fees for personal information

There are no initial fees if you are requesting your own personal information.

Fees for general information

An initial $25 fee is required if you are requesting general information. We will process your request upon receipt of the initial fee.

Under Schedule 2 of the FOIP Regulation, we are permitted to charge a reasonable fee to process an access request. If a fee is to be charged, you will be provided with a written fee estimate in advance.

Payment options

You can pay fees by:

• Mailing a cheque or money order made payable to the Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta; or
• Paying online, following the instructions provided to you upon receipt of the request.

We are committed to maintaining the accuracy of your personal information. To help keep your personal information current and complete, we encourage you to promptly notify us of any changes to your name, address, telephone number, email address, or other information that will help us provide you with the best possible service.

If you discover any inaccuracies in your personal information, contact the department responsible for the records as soon as you’re able. For example, if you would like to update the phone number on your claim, please call our Customer Contact Centre or speak with your claim owner directly.

Correction of personal information

If you want us to correct your personal information, please complete and submit a request to correct personal information form to the FOIP office.

When making a request, you must provide:

• a full description of the personal information to be corrected
• the reason why the correction must be done
• evidence that supports the correction

We will review your request and, where applicable, give you a copy of the corrected information or explain why we could not correct it. We will also use our best efforts to notify third parties about any relevant corrections. If we cannot make the correction you requested, we will record your request along with an explanation of why we could not make the correction.

Please note: We cannot correct an opinion, including a professional or expert opinion, under the FOIP Act.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of your personal information.

If you have any questions about our privacy practices or have concerns with the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in relation to your claim or account, please call our Customer Contact Centre or speak with your claim owner directly.

While our Customer Service team is available assist you at any time, the FOIP Office is also here to help. You can contact the FOIP office to discuss any privacy-related matter, including questions, complaints or concerns.

If you believe your personal privacy was breached, you can speak with your claim owner, contact our Customer Contact Centre or notify the FOIP Office directly. Our FOIP specialists will answer any questions you may have or review and/or investigate your concerns in a fair and unbiased way.

Request for review or complaint

If your issue is not resolved, you may ask the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (OIPC) to review our decision, act or failure to act, as it relates to your request to access a record or for correction of personal information. The OIPC may also review a matter if you believe we improperly collected, used or disclosed your personal information.