Charlottetown, November 28, 2025 – The Workers Compensation Board (WCB) of PEI is pleased to announce it will distribute $18 million to eligible registered employers in the coming weeks. This rebate can help employers with their business planning or support their people development initiatives, for example.
The surplus is a direct result of strong investment returns. Based on its funding policy, the Board of Directors may consider surplus distribution to eligible employers when the organization’s funding status is greater than 140%. The WCB’s funding status was 159.5% as of December 31, 2024.
In addition to surplus distribution, the estimated average employer assessment rate for 2026 has been set at $1.28, which includes a $0.09 rebate to keep rates affordable for employers. Rates reflect the estimated funds required to provide benefits to injured workers in 2026 and the costs to administer these benefits.
In PEI, the Workers Compensation Act requires the WCB to be fully funded. Of note, between 2015 and 2025, the estimated average employer assessment rate for Island employers decreased, from $1.79 to a low of $1.25.
Finally, the Maximum Assessable Earnings (MAE) is increasing to $89,300 on January 1, 2026, up from $82,900. As a result of this year’s increase, Island workers will have more earnings eligible for coverage by the WCB. The MAE is the amount employers will use when registering and reporting payroll in 2026.
“The WCB’s mission is to provide leadership in building safe and healthy workplaces, and support recovery, if and when an injury occurs,” said Jim MacPhee, Chair of the Workers Compensation Board. “To do this, we need to make sure we keep the WCB sustainable for employers and workers across PEI, so we can be there for them when they need it most. Providing surplus distribution and keeping rates affordable is key to sustainability for employers and increasing the MAE is key to providing fair benefits to injured workers.”
All Island employers will be advised of their individual assessment rates in December 2025. These rates are based on the cost of claims, the risks of workplace injury in their specific industries and the assessment rates by industry group. The surplus will be distributed to eligible employers in December 2025. Eligible employers are those who have reported 2024 actual payroll by December 31, 2025.
The WCB of Prince Edward Island announces surplus distribution, rates and MAE updates annually in November. Information about these topics, and more, can be found on the WCB website wcb.pe.ca.