Service updates

The WSIB labour disruption is now over

We’re pleased to have reached a fair and reasonable agreement with the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU).  

Following the labour disruption, we’re working hard to get back to our usual service timelines. It may take us longer than normal to get back to you. We appreciate your patience.  

As always, you can continue to use our online services to report an injury or illness, manage your claim or account and submit documents, any time.  

  • If you contacted us during the labour disruption with a non-urgent issue, please reach out again. We can now address all urgent and non-urgent issues over the phone and through messages in our online services. Wait times to reach us by phone will be longer than usual and our hours will remain from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.  
  • Health care approvals: You can continue to call the Clinical Expert Line (416-344-5739/1-866-716-1299) for all Program of Care approvals and supplementary block extensions. 
    • Musculoskeletal Program of Care: Expanded approvals for treatment block one to include pending and allowed claims for both single or multiple zones of injury (you’ll still need confirmation of an allowed claim to proceed to block two).
    • Interdisciplinary Program of Care: Contact the Clinical Expert Line for extension requests.  
    • Community Mental Health Program: For those with previously approved treatment, two additional blocks of treatment are preapproved (six sessions or eight weeks, whichever comes first). Please continue to call in for subsequent blocks.   
    • Fee-for-service treatment (Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy Chiropractic and Psychology): If you have approval from us, and are currently providing treatment in a fee-for-service model, an additional eight sessions are preapproved.  

We’ll update our website once these pre-approvals are no longer in effect.    

For initial health care approvals and any other approvals not included here, you will still need approval from us. You can call 1-800-387-0750 and your call will be transferred to the appropriate area for handling. Please prioritize your requests to those that are of urgent need.   

  • Appealing a decision: Our appeals processes and decision-making have resumed, however due to the duration of the disruption you may continue to experience delays as we return to regular service levels. 
  • Objection time limits: If you disagree with a decision made between May 1 and July 18, 2025, and want to object to a decision, you’ll have an extra 60 days (that’s in addition to the usual 30 days to object to a WSIB decision about return-to-work or work transition issues, and six-months for all other decisions.) to submit an intent to object form.    
  • Claim file access: We can once again provide access to claim files. However, you may continue to experience delays as we work to resume regular service levels.  
  • Scheduled hearings: We will contact you to reschedule any cancelled appeals hearings. 
  • Worksite meetings: Worksite meetings are gradually resuming over the coming weeks. If your meeting was cancelled or missed during the labour disruption, we’ll contact you to reschedule.  
  • Travel authorization: To help resume regular service, we do not need to preauthorize travel related to your claim. You can book travel directly through Rapid City Transportation and/or Direct Travel, until further notice.  
    • To book a taxi by phone, call Rapid City Transportation at 905-831-9198 or 833-567-9742 (833-567-WSIB). To book a taxi online, navigate to “Book a Ride” through our online services.  
    • To book, cancel or make changes to flights, rail or hotel reservations, call Direct Travel at 1-647-258-0341 or 1-866-927-5051 from Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or email [email protected]. You need to book 24 hours in advance.  
    • For emergency travel assistance after 5:30 p.m. and on weekends, call the Direct Travel emergency line at 1-888-700-6063.  

Minimizing the impact of a possible Canada Post service disruption  

In preparation for a potential Canada Post service disruption, cheques will be sent by courier to avoid possible delays.

(Updated July 6, 2025)