Employees' Compensation Appeals Board

The Board's mission is to hear and decide cases on appeal from decisions of the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act in an impartial and expeditious manner. The decisions of the Board are made in accordance with its statutory mandate, based on a thorough review of the case record as compiled by OWCP. Injured federal workers have the opportunity for a full evidentiary hearing with OWCP's Branch of Hearings and Review prior to review of the record by the Board.

Appeal a final adverse decision made by OWCP on a federal workers' compensation claim under FECA.

EFS is available 24 hours a day. As of April 12, 2021, attorneys and lay representatives are required to file documents electronically through EFS unless they have received an exemption (refer to § 501.3 (b)).

To file electronically, you must register as a user at https://efile.dol.gov. Because the filing deadline for ECAB appeals is jurisdictional, register and familiarize yourself with EFS well before your deadline.

To file an appeal via mail or fax, complete and submit Form AB-1.

ECAB's Rules of Procedure, codified at 20 C.F.R. Part 501, govern the filing and processing of appeals from final OWCP decisions. These rules cover key requirements including filing deadlines, evidence standards, representation, oral argument, and reconsideration procedures.