Privacy Commish: WCB Needn’t Disclose Workers’ Comp Premiums

A workers’ comp consulting firm made a (FIPPA) Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act to the Workers’ Comp Board for information about what different employers in Alberta pay in workers’ comp premiums. The WCB said notifying all of the employers affected of the request would be too burdensome and refused to provide the information. The firm argued that the WCB could turn over the information without notifying the employers but the Privacy Commissioner disagreed, saying that notification was required and it would cost about $325,000 to provide [Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner, Decision F2012-D-01, April 13, 2012].