Oral Hearings

An oral hearing is your opportunity to tell us in person why, if you are the appellant, you should win your appeal and what benefits you think you should receive. If you are the respondent, it is your opportunity to tell us in person why the appellant should not win their appeal. As a respondent you may also support the appellant's position.

We hold hearings in many towns and cities throughout the province. At the hearing you will have the opportunity to show new information or evidence to the vice chair, whose responsibility is to make a fair decision on the appeal. The oral hearing may take place in person, by phone, or by a mixture of the two.

We hold oral hearings for appeals involving credibility, when the evidence is conflicting, or when a vice chair thinks it would provide the best way to fully understand an appeal. Oral hearings are also often used where an appellant finds it challenging to communicate easily in written English.

Since the appeal to WCAT is your last appeal opportunity, it is a good idea to prepare yourself as fully as you can.

Note: We cannot decide any issue or question that was not contained in the WorkSafeBC or Review Division decision. If you want a decision on something new, you must ask WorkSafeBC for it.