The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, or FECA, is the only way most federal workers get paid for job-related injuries or illnesses. It is a no-fault system, meaning you do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong. But that does not mean your claim is automatically approved. The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, known as OWCP, reviews every claim and denies many. If you have been denied, that is not the end of the road. You have a structured, time-limited right to appeal, and understanding that process is critical to getting the benefits you deserve.

A denial does not always mean the agency thinks you are lying. Common reasons include missing deadlines, failing to file the proper forms, or not providing enough medical evidence. Sometimes OWCP decides that your injury did not happen in the course of your federal employment, or that your condition is not causally related to the work you do. The denial letter will spell out the exact reason. Read it carefully. That letter also tells you the deadline to request reconsideration, which is typically 180 days from the date of the decision. Miss that deadline, and your appeal rights become far more complicated.

Your first step is to request a reconsideration from OWCP itself. This is not a formality. You need to submit new evidence, not just rehash what you already sent. A good reconsideration request includes a medical report from your doctor that directly answers the reason for the denial. For example, if OWCP said your injury was not caused by your job, get a doctor to write a detailed narrative explaining the specific work activities and the medical mechanism of injury. If they said you failed to prove your condition is permanent, the doctor should provide a clear diagnosis and a prognosis. The more specific and objective the evidence, the better. Reconsideration is decided by a different reviewer, who can overturn the original denial, modify it, or affirm it. If they affirm, you move to the next level.

The next step is a hearing before the Office of Judges for Administrative Law Appeals, or you can choose to submit your case for a review of the written record without a hearing. A hearing is a formal proceeding, but you do not need a lawyer. You can appear by video or phone. At the hearing, you get to testify, and you can bring witnesses, such as a coworker who saw the accident or a supervisor who knew about your injury. The judge will ask questions and review the evidence. You can also call your doctor as a witness, although that is rare and often unnecessary if you have a solid written report. The judge’s decision is based on the entire record, including the new evidence you submitted during the reconsideration phase. If this decision goes against you, you have one more avenue.

The final administrative appeal is to the Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board, which is part of the Department of Labor. This board does not hold hearings and does not accept new evidence. It only reviews the record to see if the lower decisions were made correctly. That means your chances at this stage depend almost entirely on what you have already submitted. The board looks for legal errors, such as OWCP misapplying the law or ignoring key evidence. If the board finds no error, your claim is dead. If it finds an error, it can remand the case back to OWCP or the judge for further action. The board’s decision is final within the federal system. You cannot appeal to a regular court, because FECA explicitly bars judicial review outside the Department of Labor.

Throughout this process, keep your own copies of everything. Track every deadline. If you miss a date, you may be able to request an extension, but you must show good cause. Also, know that you can continue to receive any medical treatment while your appeal is pending, but you will likely have to pay for it yourself unless you have other insurance. That is unfair, but it is the reality.

The biggest mistake federal employees make is giving up after a denial. The statistics show that reconsideration requests succeed at a meaningful rate, and even a hearing can win a case that initially looked hopeless. The system is designed to favor employees, but only if you push it. Gather your evidence, meet your deadlines, and do not accept a no from a low-level reviewer as the final answer. Your injury happened at work, and the law says you are entitled to coverage. Make the system work for you.