Yes, even IOOs can receive competative rebates.

Once you are SAFE Certified as an Individual Owner Operator and you are registered with WSBC, you are eligible to receive a rebate of your WorkSafeBC (WSBC) assessment through WSBC’s Certificate of Recognition(COR) program.

For Individual Owner Operators, a few basic rules apply to the rebate:

• Annual COR rebates are 10% of your annaul WSBC assessments.
• If you have a small payroll, you will be eligible for a rebate of $500 or 50% of  your WSBC assessment in any one year, whichever is less.  For example, if your assessment to WSBC was $3,500, you would be eligible for a $500 rebate. 
• Once your assessment to WSBC exceeds $5,000 in any one year, your rebate will be 10% of that amount.  For example, if your assessment to WSBC was $5,500, then you would be eligible for a $550 rebate. 

Once you have completed your audit and received your SAFE Certification, the BC Forest Safety Council submits your application for a rebate to WSBC.  WSBC checks that your company is in “good standing” – that you’re up to date on your payments, not currently under penalty and generally not violating WSBC requirements.  If all of that checks out OK, WSBC sends a rebate cheque directly to you.

Rebate cheques are sent out starting in June of the following year.  For example cheques for 2008 certifications will be sent out starting in June 2009.

Additional WSBC Criteria (Example COR Rebate Calculation)

Please note that rebates are calculated as a percentage of the base assessment in the payroll of that year of certification. This way, companies with good experience ratings (e.g. assessed below the base rate) don’t receive a proportionally lower rebate. For example:

1. 2008 Assessable payroll - $2,000,000
2. CU 7030008 base rate - $9.46
3. Approximate 2008 WSBC premiums paid ($2,000,000/$100)*$9.46 = $189,200
4. Approximate 2008 COR rebate - $189,200 * 10% = $18,920