Do You Need WCB Coverage for Your Business?
Mandatory workplace insurance coverage
By law, you must register for WCB insurance and pay premiums if you:
- Do business in a mandatory industry, and
- Have 3 or more workers at the same time
You must register within 10 days of meeting these conditions. Start the registration process to find out if you need workplace insurance.
Who counts as a worker?
- Permanent, casual, full-time, and part-time workers
- Officers and directors of the company if they are active in the business, regardless if they are on payroll
- Subcontractors who work in mandatory industries, and their workers
Family members who work for the company and live in the same household of a proprietor, partner, officer, or directors of a limited company are counted as workers, but are not automatically covered. Voluntary coverage is available to family members when you report their payroll using a regular classified account.
These people are NOT counted as workers:
- Proprietors
- Partners in a partnership
- Officers (for example presidents, vice-presidents, secretary/treasurers) of an incorporated (limited) company who are paid solely for attending director’s meetings and are not active in the business beyond that
Coverage outside Nova Scotia
If your business is based outside Nova Scotia but you do work here, you need to get coverage if:
- You work in a mandatory industry,
- You have 3 or more workers in Nova Scotia for 5 or more days in a year.
If your workers are working outside Nova Scotia, check if you need coverage with the local workers’ compensation board there. If it’s not required but you want to insure your workers, you can ask us to extend coverage to them.
Register for WCB insurance today
Here’s the information you will need:
- Contact information of the person completing the registration form
- Full legal names, birth dates and contact information of proprietors, partners, or active directors (if required)
- Canada Revenue Agency Number (CRA #) (that is the 9-digit account number such as your GST/HST account number)
- Date when the third worker was hired
Register online for WCB coverage. It will take about 10-15 minutes to fill out.
If you cannot complete the registration online, contact us at 1-800-870-3331.
Optional insurance coverage
Voluntary coverage
Protection from workplace injury is important no matter the industry you work in. Voluntary coverage is the perfect solution for employers who want to enjoy peace of mind while putting the safety of their workers first.
You can register for voluntary coverage if you are not in a mandatory industry or have fewer than 3 employees.
When family members of the proprietor, partners, or officer of a limited company work in the business, voluntary coverage is also available for them.
Consider the benefits:
- Protecting your business: WCB insurance protects you from any legal action resulting from a workplace injury. Also provides the injured worker with access to health care and income benefits—plus we help people recover and return to work.
- Protecting your workers: If a worker is hurt or becomes ill because of work, we pay part of the wages they lose. We also cover health care costs and support their return to work. If they can’t return, we provide long-term help.
See all the benefits of workplace coverage.
Special protection for owners and partners
If you own or co-own a business that isn't incorporated, you can purchase Special Protection coverage. This is WCB coverage that protects you if you are injured on the job. Choose how much coverage you want—from $10,200 per year up to $76,300, the maximum assessable amount for 2025 set by WCB.
Choose a coverage amount that closely matches your actual gross earnings. If an injury occurs, benefits will be based on the amount of special protection coverage you selected—even if it’s less than your actual earnings. For example, if you choose $10,200 in coverage but earn $20,000, your benefits will be based on the $10,200.
Note: If you decide to get this coverage for yourself, you must also get coverage for any workers you hire, even if you have less than 3.
Trucking coverage
If your trucking or bus company drives through multiple provinces or territories, you can apply for something called Alternative Assessment Procedure (AAP).
With AAP, you pay premiums only to the workers’ compensation boards of the provinces where your workers or brokers live – not to the ones they travel through.
AAP only covers travel through Canada.
Apply to AAP (PDF) or call 1-800-870-3331.
Firefighting coverage
Read our Firefighter Coverage Resource (PDF) for the latest information on coverage for volunteer and career firefighters.
Canceling coverage
You can cancel coverage permanently if:
- The business is closing or being sold
- Your workforce has dropped below 3 and will stay that way for 12 months
- You have Voluntary Coverage
You will still need to report your payroll and pay any premiums due up until the date your business closed. This would include any penalties and interest you owe. Also, you must tell any remaining workers they are no longer covered.
You can discontinue coverage temporarily if:
- Your work is seasonal
- You stop operating for a period of time (less than 12 months)
During the period when your coverage is temporarily discontinued, you must still report your payroll, even if it is zero. Penalties for late payroll reporting still apply.
You can use MyAccount to cancel your coverage.