WSIB 2025: Key Changes, Claim Process, and What Ontario Workers & Employers Need to Know
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is always at the core of Ontario’s workplace safety and compensation system. In 2025, there will be significant changes, including new premium rates and enhanced benefits, as well as adjustments in the event of a substantial labour disruption. You need to know about these updates, regardless of whether you own a company or work in one.
What is the WSIB?
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is Ontario’s agency for workplace insurance, providing compensation to workers who are injured or become ill on the job. The WSIB covers over 5 million Ontarians and approximately 300,000 workplaces, providing benefits, medical coverage, and return-to-work support. Funded solely by employers, the WSIB focuses on both helping workers recover and promoting prevention in the workplace.
Recent WSIB News (2025 Overview)
Labour Disruption Ends: Full Services Resume
From May 21 to July 5, 2025, the WSIB experienced a major strike involving over 3,600 workers of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). There were breaks in all appeals, hearings, and numerous services. An initial agreement was reached by July 5, and the team was back within 24 hours of the thumbs-up vote.
Key points:
- Claims and documentation reporting services were kept online.
- There is a possibility of resubmitting non-urgent phone and email requests.
- The wait times are high as the agency tries to play catch-up.
Important Dates:
- May 21, 2025: Strike began
- July 5, 2025: Tentative agreement reached, services resume
Changes to Claims, Appeals, and Deadlines
- All objection/appeal deadlines commencing between May 1st, 2025, and July 18th, 2025, have an added 60-day grace period.
- WSIB is actively reaching out to reschedule postponed hearings.
- The normal service delays (at least on appeals) are anticipated as service returns to normal.
WSIB 2025 Premium Rates and Insurable Earnings
The WSIB sets annual premium rates for all participating employers in Ontario.
| Year | Average Premium Rate ($/100 payroll) | Maximum Insurable Earnings |
| 2024 | 1.30 | $112,500 |
| 2025 | 1.25 | $117,000 |
2025 is expected to see the lowest average premium rate in more than 50 years. There are also specific class rates for various industries.
Latest Sample 2025 WSIB Class Rates:
| Class | 2025 Rate ($ per $100) |
| A | 1.90 |
| C | 0.64 |
| D2 | 3.42 |
| G1 | 2.32 |
| L | 0.18 |
- Employers can improve their rate through better health and safety practices.
- The maximum insurable earnings ceiling means income replacement benefits are calculated up to $117,000 in 2025.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment:
- Benefit recipients will receive a 2.6% increase in 2025, fully indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The WSIB Claims Process: Latest Step-by-Step Process in 2025
- Report and Seek Medical Attention
- Any worker who suffers an accident at work or falls ill in the workplace should notify their employer as soon as possible.
- Employers must file a Form 7 with the WSIB, and workers file Form 6.
- Documentation & Timelines
- All claims have to be submitted within six months of the injury or disease.
- The same six-month reporting period applies to occupational diseases.
- WSIB Review
- The WSIB reviews the forms, medical notes, and related documents to approve or deny claims.
- What Employees Should Do
- Keep accurate records and maintain open communication with both the employer and the WSIB.
- Turn to the law or union counsel when necessary.
- Appeals
- In the event of rejection, workers are allowed to utilise the appeal system. Deadlines are not the same, but during the 2025 disruption, deadlines were reset after 60 days of the disruption.
WSIB Claim Timeline Table:
| Step | Deadline/Period |
| Report injury/illness to the employer | ASAP (within days) |
| File WSIB report (Form 6/7) | Within 6 months |
| Incident under review | Varies (weeks) |
| Appeals (normal) | 30-180 days |
| Appeals (May–July 2025) | Up to 60 days more |
WSIB Return-to-Work Programs and Support in 2025
- The WSIB return-to-work strategy places people’s health at the centre.
- Nine of 10 workers are back at their jobs 12 months after an injury.
- After a transition plan, 67 percent will come back to the same employer.
The program involves:
- Individualised programs Return-to-Work Specialists
- Short- and long-term accommodative support
- Retraining for the job in case the original job becomes available.
WSIB Employer and Employee Responsibilities in 2025
Employees:
- Report events on time
- Look at a doctor and apply all the documents
- Document reprehensively and collaborate with the returning-to-work blueprints
Employers:
- Give first aid and cover the day of injury costs
- Examine and write a report about each incident
- Within 3 days, fill and submit the Employer Report (Form 7)
- Comply with and face the accommodation requirements in the Ontario law
WSIB Key Policy and Legal Updates: Ontario Regulation for 2025
- January 2025: New amendments to Ontario Regulation 175/98 under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act.
- Continuing to formulate new policy and research centres concerning occupational diseases and maintaining useful workplace safety awareness.
WSIB Quick Guide: External, Official, and Support Resources
- Official WSIB News and Updates: wsib.ca/en/about-us/news-releases
- 2025 Rates and Premium Adjustments: wsib.ca/en/2025premiumrates
- Claims Process Guide: achkarlaw.com/wsib/
- Health and Safety Resources: wsib.ca/en/our-return-work-strategy
Conclusion
WSIB remains central to Ontario’s worker safety and injury compensation in 2025. With lower premium rates, updated claims procedures, and new resources following the recent strike, everyone in the workplace needs to stay informed about WSIB changes and use the benefits and support available for both employers and injured workers.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the WSIB, and what does it provide?
Ans. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board provides insurance and support to Ontario workers who are injured or fall ill at work, offering wage replacement, medical aid, and return-to-work assistance.
Q2. What are the new WSIB premium rates in 2025?
Ans. The mean premium rate was divided by 1.25 for every $ 100 of payroll to be insured in 2025, the lowest in more than 50 years. The updated maximum insurable earnings are currently at $117,000.
Q3. How do I file a claim with the WSIB?
Ans. The employees should immediately inform their employers about any injury at the workplace, receive medical attention, and fill in Form 6. Employers must file Form 7 within three days. The most significant part of cases must be filed within 6 months after the event or diagnosis.
Q4. What happened when I was denied?
Ans. You can appeal a denied claim through the WSIB’s appeal process. The grace period conferred after the last strike gives you 60 days more to appeal or object in the case of incidents in the period between May 1 and July 18, 2025.
Q5. What is the process of return-to-work?
Ans. Return-to-Work Specialists are employed to develop a recovery plan and a gradual reintegration plan for returning to work. It is within a year that the majority of workers come back, and the priority is maintaining the job at the initial employer.
Q6. In 2025, were there any major disruptions?
Ans. Yes, there were strikes on May 21 and July 5, 2025, and as a result, appeals and non-urgent services had to wait. However, with a new agreement reached with the union, all services were resumed.
Q7. How can I receive official updates? / How can I get help?
Ans. Visit the official WSIB website (wsib.ca), check posted news releases and updates, or contact their helpline for guidance.
