Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, said the changes wrought by Bill 47 will “completely undermine the whole purpose of the Workers’ Compensation Board.

“These changes are all about reducing access to benefits, reducing premiums paid by employers,” he said.

The changes will make it more difficult for injured workers to navigate the system and more difficult for them to get their applications for benefits and support approved,” he said.

McGowan said the removal of the requirement for employers to keep workers on a company’s extended health benefits program will mean workers can be cut off when they need the family coverage for such things as drugs and dental care.

“They are putting an extra financial burden on the workers and their families at exactly the time when their income is plummeting because they can no longer work,” he said.

Major changes to the Workers’ Compensation Board take effect in Alberta on April 1, including the elimination of an employer’s legal obligation to rehire and accommodate an injured worker.

Source: Major changes to Alberta’s Workers’ Compensation Board coverage take effect today | CBC News