Scheduling the Hearing

Hearing Proposal

After we send you the Hearing Ready Letter, our Scheduling Department will send you a letter with the proposed hearing date. We’ll confirm the hearing date after 2 weeks, unless you tell us the proposed date is not suitable for you.

Notice of Hearing

Our Scheduling Department confirms the hearing in a Confirmation of Hearing Notice. It lists the hearing date, hearing format, time, connection details and location (if applicable).

You are responsible for providing us with your current address and contact information. If your address or phone number changes, please complete a Change of Address Form and send it to us.

For more information on how hearings are scheduled, please review Practice Direction #18 – Notice of Hearing and Failure to Attend or Contact Us.

Hearing Locations

Oral Hearings are held in these cities in Ontario

  • Hamilton
  • London
  • Oshawa
  • Ottawa
  • Sault Ste. Marie
  • Sudbury
  • Thunder Bay
  • Timmins
  • Toronto
  • Windsor

The closest city to the appellant is usually chosen as the hearing location. We may reimburse expenses for a worker or witness to attend a hearing. For more information on the allowable expenses that you can claim for attending a hearing, please review Practice Direction #39 – Fees and Expenses or Contact Us.

If you require an accommodation for your hearing, please review our Accessibility and Diversity page.

Adjournments

If you cannot attend your hearing date, please let us know as soon as possible by requesting an adjournment. If we grant the request, your hearing will be rescheduled on a later date. For information on requesting an adjournment, please review Practice Direction #23 – Adjournments and Withdrawals or Contact Us.

Pre-Hearing Conferences

There may be evidentiary or procedural issues identified by you or by us that require direction from a Vice-Chair or Panel before the hearing takes place. We may schedule a pre-hearing conference to address these issues. A pre-hearing conference may be held in person, by videoconference, or by teleconference. For more information, please review Practice Direction #14 – Pre-Hearing Conferences or Contact Us.