Being hurt at work comes with a worry most other injuries don't carry: your job and your income are involved alongside your health. Ontario's workers' compensation system is designed to cover you, but it moves on timelines and requires steps you need to know about.
Your first step is care. Get first aid, and if your injury requires it, go to a doctor, an urgent care clinic, or the emergency room.
When you see a health care provider, be clear that your injury happened at work. This is not a small detail. It changes how your visit is documented and how your care is funded. Your health care costs for a work injury are covered by the WSIB, not your provincial health insurance plan, but that only applies if the injury is properly identified as work-related from the beginning.
You have the right to choose your own doctor. Your employer cannot direct you to a specific physician or clinic.
Tell your supervisor or employer that you were injured, as soon as you reasonably can. Do not wait. Your employer is legally required to file a Form 7 (Employer's Report of Injury or Disease) with the WSIB within three business days of learning about your injury. That process cannot begin until they know.
Keep a note of when you reported it, to whom, and what was said.
As the injured worker, you should also file a Form 6 (Worker's Report of Injury or Disease) directly with the WSIB. You can do this online at wsib.ca or by phone. Filing your own report means you are on record, regardless of what your employer does.
Describe what happened as clearly and specifically as you can. The date, the time, what you were doing, how the injury occurred, and the symptoms you experienced.
Ontario's WSIB system is no-fault. You do not need to prove your employer was negligent to receive benefits. You need to show that your injury happened at work.
WSIB benefits can include coverage for all necessary health care related to your injury, wage loss benefits if you cannot work (currently 85% of your net pre-injury earnings), and support for rehabilitation and return to work.
Keep records of your symptoms, your medical appointments, any forms you file and when, and every conversation you have with your employer and the WSIB. Note the date, the name of the person you spoke with, and what was discussed.
Return-to-work conversations will happen, often sooner than you expect. Having a clear written record of your condition and your limits means those conversations start from a real picture of your situation rather than someone else's assessment of it.
Recovering from a workplace injury involves many moving parts. The Hurt Square WSIB Recovery Workbook was built to help injured Ontario workers organize their claim, track their recovery, and keep a clear record throughout the process.
We’re putting the final touches on the workbooks now. Join the founding list and we’ll let you know the moment they’re ready — and you’ll be among the first in.
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