The Prevention Rebate Program reduces the risk of workplace injury and illness by rewarding employers who have developed and maintained meaningful workplace safety and health management systems. The effectiveness of an employer's safety and health management system is measured through their participation in an industry-based safety program (IBSP) that meets the standards of the SAFE Work Certified Program.
Phone: 204-957-SAFE (7233) or toll free: 1-855-957-SAFE
(Note: office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.)
What steps do I have to take to receive the prevention rebate?
The first step to take towards receiving your prevention rebate is to become certified by a certifying partner. Contact a certifying partner for more information.
Once certified, an employer must meet the following eligibility criteria to receive the prevention rebate:
- Ensure certification is not under review.
- Complete and submit a maintenance or recertification audit.
- Complete the rebate eligibility period. An employer's rebate eligibility period is the 12 month period starting from their certification anniversary date.
- Comply with safety and health legislation. An employer must not have received any administrative penalties or convictions during the eligibility period.
- Maintain an active WCB account.
- Complete WCB annual payroll reporting (including actual payroll and total hours worked) and ensure no prior payroll reporting has been missed. Note: this is not required for employers carrying personal coverage only.
Please see the
Prevention Rebate Policy for more information.
My industry does not have a certifying partner. Can I still get the prevention rebate?
You must be certified by a certifying partner to receive the prevention rebate. If your industry does not yet have a certifying partner, contact SAFE Work Manitoba:
Phone: 204-957-SAFE (7233) or toll free: 1-855-957-SAFE
Email: swc@safeworkmanitoba.ca
My workplace is certified. How will we know if we are getting the prevention rebate?
Certified employers will receive a letter informing them they have been awarded the prevention rebate the month after their certification anniversary date. Employers awarded the prevention rebate will also see the prevention rebate reflected on their WCB statement.
If a certified employer is not currently eligible to receive the prevention rebate, they will receive a letter informing them of the reason.
What period of time is the prevention rebate based on?
An employer's rebate eligibility period is the 12 months following their certification anniversary date. For example, if an employer's certification anniversary date is February 15, 2017, their 12-month rebate eligibility period is from February 15, 2017 to February 14, 2018 (inclusive). Rebate eligibility criteria will be evaluated within this time period to determine if the employer will receive their prevention rebate.
How is the prevention rebate calculated?
Eligible employers will receive a prevention rebate of the greatest of 15 per cent of their premium or $3,000, to a maximum of 75 per cent of their premium. Please see the Prevention Rebate Policy for more information.
When will I receive my prevention rebate?
An eligible employer will typically receive their prevention rebate in the month following their certification anniversary date, providing the employer's annual payroll reporting (including total hours worked) has been submitted by the employer and processed by the WCB.
What payment methods are available for receiving the prevention rebate?
An employer can choose to receive the prevention rebate through the following methods:
- credit to their WCB account
- cheque
- electronic fund transfer (EFT).
Please note that employers who choose to receive their prevention rebate through electronic fund transfer (EFT) will receive a cheque until EFT is fully implemented.
If the employer's WCB account has an amount owing that is past due:
- the prevention rebate payout amount will first be applied as a credit to any past due amount owing on an employer's WCB account
- any remaining balance of the prevention rebate will be applied as a credit towards future amounts owing
- no prevention rebate cheque will be sent, regardless of preferred method of rebate.
How do I choose my preferred method of rebate?
The choice is made by identifying a preferred method of rebate on the SAFE Work Certified Application or by contacting SAFE Work Manitoba. If no choice is made, the default will be a credit to the employer's WCB account.
Some certification programs (for example, COR™) do not use the SAFE Work Certified Application. Employers who did not complete a SAFE Work Certified Application will need to contact SAFE Work Manitoba to identify their preferred method of rebate if they do not want to receive a credit by default.
I have opted to receive the prevention rebate by cheque. Where will the cheque be sent?
The cheque will be mailed to the main address on the employer's WCB account.
Prevention rebate cheques are paid for the full rebate amount only. An employer will not be issued a partial prevention rebate payment.
How do I change my preferred method of rebate?
An employer can contact SAFE Work Manitoba to update their preferred method of rebate. Updates must be made before the end of the eligibility period (before the employer's certification anniversary date).
I pay WCB premiums through FlexPay pre-authorized installments and have opted to receive the prevention rebate as a credit. How will I receive the credit?
If an employer pays their premiums through pre-authorized installments and chooses to receive their prevention rebate through a credit to their WCB account, the prevention rebate will be applied towards future installments.
I see I have to submit total hours worked to receive the prevention rebate, but I have never submitted them before. How do I calculate total hours worked?
Total hours worked is the sum of all hours worked in the previous year by all workers ("worker" as defined by the Workers Compensation Act). If an employer tracks insurable hours for Employment Insurance purposes on an individual basis, a total of insurable hours would generally be acceptable for the WCB. Total EI insurable hours is usually available through payroll service providers, payroll registers or payroll journals. If an employer does not have access to the total hours through one of these systems, they can calculate the hours using a full time equivalent calculation: multiply the number of workers by 2,000 to get the total hours worked (one full time equivalent position equals 2,000 hours).
I forgot to enter my total hours worked when submitting my annual payroll reporting to the WCB. Will I still receive a prevention rebate?
The prevention rebate will not be paid until total hours worked are reported (unless you carry personal coverage only). Once submitted, you will receive the prevention rebate, provided you meet all other eligibility criteria. You can report your total hours worked to either SAFE Work Manitoba or WCB Assessment Services:
SAFE Work Manitoba
Phone: 204-957-SAFE (7233) or toll free: 1-855-957-SAFE
(Note: office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.)
WCB Assessement Services
Phone: 204-954-4505 in Winnipeg or toll free: 1-855-954-4321 (ext. 4505)
Email: assessmentservices@wcb.mb.ca
(Note: office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.)
Who can I talk to if I have more questions about the Prevention Rebate Program?
If you are interested in learning more about the Prevention Rebate Program, contact your certifying partner. If you still have questions, contact SAFE Work Manitoba:
Phone: 204-957-SAFE (7233) or toll free: 1-855-957-SAFE
Email: swc@safeworkmanitoba.ca
(Note: office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.)
