About

Demystifying the WCB.

Blue Collar Consulting helps injured workers challenge decisions that affect their income and recovery, and helps employers manage difficult claims, return to work, cost relief and disability programs.

Founded nearly a decade ago, the firm now brings together a team with 40 years of combined experience in workers’ compensation and disability management.

We work on both sides of the system, always representing the client who has engaged us on the matter. That perspective helps us identify the key issue, the evidence that matters and the most practical way forward.

Ben Barfett — Principal Consultant

Before founding Blue Collar Consulting, Ben worked in senior roles in construction, heavy civil and energy. He has spent nearly a decade working directly with WCB claims and has represented clients before the Alberta DRDRB and Appeals Commission and BC’s WCAT.

His formal disability management study through the University of Fredericton complements extensive work with injured workers, private organizations, unions and public-sector employers.

Ben Barfett — Principal Consultant

Who we help

Injured workers

We help with claim acceptance, wage-loss benefits, medical evidence, return-to-work disputes, permanent benefits, reviews and appeals. We start with the decision and build a focused plan around the issue that matters most.

Employers

We support complex claim management, modified work, return-to-work planning, cost relief, appeals and disability programs. Our advice considers the worker’s circumstances alongside the organization’s obligations and operations.

How we approach a file

We listen, review the record and explain the available options. Some files call for an appeal; others need better medical clarification, a more workable return-to-work plan or a decision WCB has not yet made. We are candid about the strengths, weaknesses and work involved, and we do not promise a particular result.

Blue Collar Consulting is an independent advocacy and consulting firm. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.

Writing and resources

The Silent Abandonment

Ben’s e-book, A Practical Guide for Injured Workers Navigating Alberta’s WCB System, is available on Amazon Kindle.

Published in OHS Canada

Ben writes about disability management and workplace injury, including “Phantom costs: Why ignoring disability management is quietly killing your bottom line.”

Tell us what you’re dealing with.

Whether you are an injured worker or an employer, we can help identify what needs attention and what to do next.

780-340-5727

Before Contacting a WCB Lawyer

Reach out to Blue Collar Consulting first for expert guidance and representation

As your knowledgeable ally in the intricate world of WCB claims, we are committed to turning challenges into successful outcomes and confusion into clarity.

Claims Support

Advocacy Services

Disclaimer

WCBLawyer.ca is not a law firm, and its owner is not a lawyer. Legal services referenced on this site are provided exclusively by independently licensed lawyers in Alberta. Blue Collar Consulting offers WCB advocacy and consulting services and works in partnership with legal professionals where appropriate.

Phone:

780-340-5727

E-mail:

ben@bluecollarconsulting.ca

Address:

541 Eagleson Wynd, Edmonton T6M 0Y4