Weather Policy for WCOA/ Southeastern District Hearings or Mediations

The Southeastern District of the Workers’ Compensation Office of Adjudication includes the hearing offices at 801 Arch Street in Philadelphia and 760 W Sproul Rd in Springfield.

Virtual Hearings/Mediations Will Not be Cancelled Due to Weather:

Virtual events will be held regardless of weather-related closures.

In-Person Hearings/Mediations:

• Philadelphia School District Delayed Or Closed

  • If the Philadelphia public schools are delayed or closed because of weather, all in-person hearings and mediations scheduled for the Philadelphia and Springfield offices are CANCELLED for that day and will be rescheduled.

• Philadelphia/Springfield Office Building Delayed Or Closed

  • If either or both of the Philadelphia/Springfield Office buildings have a delayed opening or closure because of weather without the Philadelphia School District announcing a closing or late opening, all in-person hearings and mediations scheduled for the Philadelphia and Springfield offices are CANCELLED for that day and will be rescheduled.

• Alerts/Announcements Regarding Office Closings Or Individual Judge Cancellations

  Refer to the WCAIS home page for Alerts regarding cancellations or delays of hearings and mediations for individual judges or offices. Notices can also be found on https://www.pa.gov/agencies/oa and local media.

Notice Regarding Mandatory Mediations in the Southeastern District of the Workers’ Compensation Office of Adjudication:

It is the policy of the Southeastern District Judges to schedule Mandatory Mediations as part of the scheduling order at the first hearing, unless deemed futile at that time by the Adjudicating Judge. Only one Mandatory Mediation will be scheduled per dispute. The timeframe for scheduling Mandatory Mediations will be determined with input from the parties, and the date provided shall be a firm date.

No continuances will be granted for Mandatory Mediations, and they will NOT be rescheduled. Parties may always seek a voluntary mediation with a Voluntary Mediating Judge.

Requests for cancellation of Mandatory Mediations in the Southeastern District shall be made to the Adjudicating Judge by filing a miscellaneous WCAIS request and NOT a mediation postponement with a reason provided.

Interpreter Services

Interpreter services at WCOA hearings which are requested, but not cancelled more than 48 hours before the hearing, cause the imposition of a charge for the late cancellation. These charges are costly to the Office of Adjudication, to the Commonwealth, and to the public, and cannot be allowed to proliferate.

If you have a hearing where you have requested the services of an interpreter, you must notify the Judge’s office of your need to cancel the interpreter no less than 48 hours before the hearing.

Failure to provide prompt and proper notice to a Judge’s office may result in the offending attorney or party being billed for the cancellation charges.

Workers’ Compensation Judges’ Staff Information:

A listing of all Workers’ Compensation Judges’ staff contact information can be found here: https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dli/documents/individuals/workers-compensation/wcoa/documents/wcoa-judges-office-contacts.pdf

Judges’ Procedural Rules And Policies:

For questions about an individual Workers’ Compensation Judge’s Rules, Policies and Preferences, please consult the specific Judge’s WCOA Judges’ Procedural Rules and Policies found here: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/programs-services/workers-compensation/workers-compensation-office-of-adjudication-wcoa.html

Voluntary Mediations

Most Judges in the Southeastern District perform voluntary mediations upon request. To determine if a Judge performs a voluntary mediation and how to schedule a voluntary mediation with that Judge, please consult the specific Judge’s WCOA Judges’ Procedural Rules and Policies found here: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/programs-services/workers-compensation/workers-compensation-office-of-adjudication-wcoa.html