Some HEU members may be impacted by a recent privacy breach at WorkSafeBC (WSBC).
If your information was part of this breach, you will have received a letter from WSBC notifying you.
The incident occurred in January 2026, when WSBC sent letters containing injured workers’ first name, last name, social insurance number and the amount of their benefit to unknown recipients. Up to 8,600 injured workers were affected -- including some HEU members.
When a privacy breach occurs, the organization must advise the affected person of the breach and assess the potential for harm. The possible harm here is identify theft.
WSBC has offered two years of daily credit monitoring and dark web monitoring to anyone who has been impacted by this breach, and they will be alerted if their information is being used inappropriately. In addition, WSBC will manually confirm mailing addresses going forward.
HEU advises the affected members to consider this offer. They may also file a complaint with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C. (OIPC) regarding the incident.
What can members do?
Any member who received a letter from WSBC advising them that their personal information was part of this breach should accept WSBC’s offer of two years of daily credit monitoring and dark web monitoring. If there is activity regarding the use of their personal information, the members will receive an alert and can take additional steps to protect their personal information.
Affected workers can sue WSBC, even if no one has stolen their identity and they have not been impacted financially. Note that legal action is costly, takes a long time, and unintentional breaches are less likely to attract substantial damage awards. If a member wishes to pursue an action in court, they can be matched with a suitable lawyer for a consultation through the BC Legal Referral Service or call 604-687-3221.
Affected workers can make a complaint to The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C. (OIPC) via their website.
Will WorkSafeBC face any consequences?
The OIPC oversees and enforces privacy laws in B.C. The OIPC is currently investigating this breach and can issue binding orders to resolve complaints and act in the public interest.
The OIPC may take other actions or direct WSBC to take additional measures to protect workers’ personal information.