Resources

Overall

Your best source for any information related to the Workers' Compensation and Workers' Compensation appeals is the Injured Workers' Research & Advocacy Project.

 This is the best all-round website for injured workers or worker advocates.  It is updated regularly and provides an overview of the system as well as articles on specific Workers' Compensation topics. 

Some of IWRAP’s list of resources is reproduced below.

Legislation, policy & practice directives

The Board is required to apply the Act and associated Board policy. Its Practice Directives are non-binding. Most provisions of the Act are general and broad. The policies provide detail regarding application of the Act, the practice directives further detail regarding application of the law and policy: 

  • Workers’ Compensation Act  (* also available at worksafebc.com)

  • WCB[1] compensation policy – Rehabilitation Services and Claims Manual (RSCM):

    • Volume II (current policies: injuries after June 30, 2002)

    • Volume I (injuries prior to June 30, 2002)

WCB Practice Directives – (* This page also links to “Related Practices”: other guidelines such as the “Psychological Impairment Guidelines” used for pension adjudication)

Adding Insult to Injury
Changes to the BC Workers’ Compensation System (2002- 2008): The Impact on Injured Workers.

A Report to the B.C. Federation of Labour. Prepared by: Stan Guenther, Janet Patterson, Sarah O’Leary. April 22, 2009

Researching past cases

Past cases are not useful as precedents in WCB reviews/appeals but adjudicators are encouraged to maintain consistency with past decisions:

Key forms

  • WCB forms, such as the Application for Compensation, Request for Review, Request for Disclosure, Authorization of Representative, search the forms and resources page at www.worksafebc.com: 

  • WCAT Notice of Appeal 

Claim file access

Create an online account and login to view claim records / request/manage reviews, etc. via portal at worksafebc.com home page. 

Requests to WCB

  • If you’re asking for a new decision or unadjudicated benefits, you may want to put it in writing then follow up by phone, or email.

  • If the case manager does not call you back within 2 business days, you’re entitled to call the Claims Call Centre to request a call back from the Client Services Manager of that case manager regarding the delay.

  • If the Client Services Manager doesn’t call you back within 2 business days, call the WCB’s internal Issue Resolution Office (IRO) 1.800.335.9330 or send an email, asking them to address the issue of delay or other unfair practice. See the IRO website.

  • Complaints which are not resolved by the IRO may be submitted to the Fair Practices Commissioner.

See the IWRAP website for more complete and comprehensive information on most Workers' Compensation topics.

Contacting the WCB:

Claims Call Centre

We answer your questions about the claims process and your claim status.

Phone: 604.231.8888 (Lower Mainland)
Toll-free: 1.888.967.5377 (Canada)

Fax: 604.233.9777 (Lower Mainland)
Toll-free: 1.888.922.8807 (Canada)

Hours of operation: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Mail: PO Box 4700 Stn. Terminal, Vancouver BC  V6B 1J1

[1] For the sake of clarity: the legal name of the Board is the Workers' Compensation Board of BC .  This is set out in the Workers' Compensation Act. WorkSafeBC is a name that was invented when the Liberals, under Gordon Campbell, re-wrote the Act.  The name was never legally changed.