Important Notice: WSIAT Operations during COVID-19 – April 2, 2020 Update

In order to support the province-wide effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, the WSIAT has made the decision to cancel all in-person hearings until further notice. Where feasible, alternative hearing options, such as written, video conference and telephone hearings, will be considered.

In addition, the WSIAT is suspending all on-site services to safeguard the health and well-being of staff and stakeholders. The Tribunal will operate at reduced levels during this period. Thank you for your co-operation and understanding during this time.

Until further notice, the WSIAT’s offices are closed, including the Ontario Workplace Tribunals Library and the WSIAT mail room. Please do not send mail or courier to the Tribunal, or attend at the WSIAT’s offices in Toronto or Hamilton. You may send material by fax, but please note that response times will be longer than usual. The WSIAT’s fax number is 416-326-5164.

The WSIAT will be holding a stakeholder consultation the week of April 20, 2020 to provide an update on the Tribunals operations. More information will be circulated closer to the date.

Individuals can make general inquiries about the WSIAT’s operations by calling the WSIAT Call Centre at 416-314-8800 or 1-888-618-8846 or sending an email to WSIATCallCentre@wst.gov.on.ca. Please note that this email address is for general inquiries only - do not submit case-related information to this email address. To protect private confidential information, the WSIAT will not respond to case-related messages sent to this email address and emails with case-related information will be deleted. One exception is updated contact information, including change of address forms, which can be emailed to the Tribunal during this time.

Updates about the WSIAT’s operations will continue to be posted to this website - please check regularly for the most recent information.

Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.

Suspension of Limitation Periods and Procedural Timelines

Pursuant to an order made under s. 7.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, limitation periods have been suspended for the duration of the emergency, retroactive to March 16, 2020. Procedural time periods have also been suspended, subject to the discretion of the court or tribunal.

After normal operations resume, the WSIAT will accept Notice of Appeal (NOA) forms that are filed outside of the six-month time period in section 125(2) of the WSIA. Please note that incomplete NOAs submitted on time will be considered to have met the statutory time limits. The WSIAT will also exercise its discretion and reasonably extend timelines for procedural steps. Please be aware that, once normal operations resume, there may be substantial delays in case processing, including the WSIAT communicating with parties and representatives.