Waiting by the phone while the bills pile up is exhausting. When your calls to the WSIB go unanswered, it can feel as if your claim has disappeared. It has not. There are calm, clear steps that usually get things moving again.
Why does my case manager matter so much?
Your case manager is usually the same person who makes decisions about your claim and your benefits. Steps to Justice, the legal information site run by Community Legal Education Ontario, explains this in its guide to dealing with a WSIB case manager, and it gives one piece of advice above all: keep notes of every conversation you have with the WSIB.
A good working relationship helps. A good record helps even more.
What should I do when my calls are not returned?
Three steps, in this order.
- Leave a clear message. Your name, your claim number and why you are calling.
- Keep a call log. The date and time of every call, who you spoke to and what was said.
- Put it in writing. If your call is still not returned, send a short note asking for a call back and listing the dates and times you called. Steps to Justice says you can send it by email, fax, mail or through WSIB online services.
A written note does two things. It gives your case manager everything in one place, and it creates a dated record that you tried.
Can I speak to my case manager's manager?
Yes. If you do not think your case manager is treating you properly, Steps to Justice says you can speak to their manager. It also offers a fair caution: your case manager will likely still be deciding your claim, so weigh that first and keep the conversation calm, factual and focused on what you need.
Bring your call log. Dates and times speak for themselves.
What is the Fair Practices Commission?
The WSIB describes its Fair Practices Commission as "the ombudsman for the WSIB." It offers an independent, neutral and confidential service for people with complaints about the service they receive at the WSIB.
According to Steps to Justice, the Commission can look at whether:
- there were unreasonable delays in dealing with your claim
- the WSIB did not tell you what was happening in a way you could understand
- WSIB staff were rude or impolite
- important and relevant information about your claim was ignored
It cannot help with an appeal, and it cannot decide your benefits or force the WSIB to decide a certain way. It is about how your claim is being handled, not the decision itself.
What should I try before contacting the Commission?
Steps to Justice lists the steps in order: co-operate with the WSIB, try to resolve the problem with your case manager, and get a copy of your claim file. The Commission's complaint form asks what you did to fix the problem, including the names of the WSIB staff you spoke with. Your call log answers that question for you.
You can reach the Commission toll free at 1-866-258-4383, or through the complaint form on its website.
Does waiting pause my deadlines?
No. If you have already received a decision letter, the time limit to object runs from the date on that letter, whether or not anyone calls you back. The WSIB sets 30 days for decisions about return to work, work transition and re-employment, and six months for most others.
If a deadline is close, send your objection on time and keep chasing the call separately. Our article “WSIB Rejected My Claim!” | WSIB Denied Your Claim? Your Next Steps Before the Deadline explains what has to arrive by the deadline.
What should I record?
- Every call. The date, the time, who you reached or the message you left.
- Every letter, email and online message. Copies of what you sent and what came back.
- Every promise. A call back by Friday, a form in the mail, a decision soon. Write it down with the date.
- How the wait is affecting you. Treatment put off, appointments you could not book, money you had to borrow.
Why use Hurt Square?
Because a clear record gets answers faster than another voicemail. Hurt Square guides give you one place to keep every call, letter and promise, so the facts are ready when you write to your case manager, their manager or the Fair Practices Commission.
- Your call log, ready to send. The National Workplace Injury Recovery Guide has structured space for every call, letter and message with the WSIB and your employer, with the date, the name and what was agreed.
- The Ontario rules, in plain words. The Ontario Workplace Injury Companion Guide explains Forms 6, 7 and 8 and how to object, step by step through to the Appeals Tribunal.
- Deadlines do not wait. Your time to object runs whether or not anyone calls back. With every letter and its date in one place, you know exactly where you stand.
- Made for hard days. 123 pages and more than 1,200 fillable fields that work on your phone, tablet or computer, in plain language. When your union representative, worker adviser or lawyer asks for something, it is already there.
Both guides, $39 until 22 November. The National Workplace Injury Recovery Guide and the Ontario Workplace Injury Companion Guide, with the discount applied at checkout. Bought separately: $63.99.
Get both guidesWho can help?
The Office of the Worker Adviser, if you are not in a union. It is an independent agency of the Ontario government, and its service to non-unionized injured workers is free. Its number for English service is 1-800-435-8980. If you are in a union, start with your union representative. A community legal clinic is another free route.
Read next
- “It's Been Weeks and No Answer!” | Still Waiting on WSIB? How Long a Decision Takes and What You Can Do Meanwhile
- “The Bills Won't Wait!” | Waiting on WSIB With No Money Coming In? Where to Turn
- “I Think WSIB Got It Wrong!” | Disagree With a WSIB Decision? How to Appeal, Step by Step
Every figure in this article comes from a named source. How we check
Last verified: October 2026.
