The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (“WSIB”) has announced that a tentative agreement has been reached with the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (“OCEU”), ending a six-week strike. Per an online service update dated July 5, 2025, the WSIB welcomed back its full team within 24 hours of a successful ratification vote.
Time limit grace period
The WSIB has implemented a time-limited grace period in respect of decisions rendered during the labour disruption. Intent-to-Object forms submitted pursuant to decisions made between May 1 and July 18, 2025, are subject to a 60-day grace period (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). Employers are encouraged to identify any decisions rendered within the above-noted time period, diarize any new deadlines created by this extension, and amend any pre-strike deadlines within their records.
Appeals and hearing scheduling
The WSIB’s appeals processes and decision-making have also resumed. However, the WSIB has advised to expect some continuing delays during the transition to regular service levels.
Scheduled hearings
The WSIB’s appeals process has resumed. Hearing participants can expect to be contacted by the WSIB to reschedule hearings postponed as a result of the labour disruption.
Claim file access
The WSIB is once again providing access to claim files, lifting the freeze on access that was in place during the service disruption. Employers are advised that such access may also be subject to delays pending the WSIB’s return to regular service levels. Employers are encouraged to revisit requests for access made immediately prior to or during the service disruption, and to issue follow-ups to the WSIB as necessary for timely claim management.
Non-Urgent Issues
The WSIB advises individuals who attempted to contact the WSIB during the labour disruption concerning non-urgent issues to reach out again. The WSIB’s phone hours will remain the same as during the labour disruption, spanning from 7:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Worksite meetings
Worksite meetings are gradually resuming. Cancelled or missed worksite meetings as a result of the labour disruption will be rescheduled.
Participants of these meetings can expect to be contacted by the WSIB to reschedule.
Travel authorization
To aid in resuming regular service, the WSIB will temporarily not be pre-authorizing travel related to claims. Parties are being directed to book travel directly through Rapid City Transportation and/or Direct Travel, until further notice.
Insights for employers
In the immediate time following the end of its service disruption, the WSIB appears to be employing a gradual approach to resuming full service, with some delays expected as Case Managers slowly return and resume carriage of affected claim files. To ensure the WSIB addresses any issues raised shortly before or during the strike, Employers may want to consider following up with the WSIB in writing. Employers may also want to consider calling the WSIB to confirm that documentation filed during the disruption was received and added to their respective claim files. Employers are also encouraged to take stock of any time limits and/or hearing dates affected by the disruption, and to diarize any new dates accordingly.
As normal WSIB service resumes, stakeholders can continue to using the WSIB’s Online Services to:
- Report an injury or illness;
- Submit documents for an existing claim;
- See claim, payment, and health benefit information in real time;
- Register a new business; and
- Access clearances.
Prepared with the assistance of Mathews Dinsdale summer student Jadyn Petitti.
If you have any questions regarding this updated or the OINP, please contact a Mathews Dinsdale & Clark lawyer.