Calif. DWC Walnut Creek Office to Close Operations May 23

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) Walnut Creek District Office’s last day of business will be Friday, May 23. The last day hearings will be scheduled for that office will be Tuesday, May 20.

All cases currently in Walnut Creek will be transferred to the Oakland District Office, where new cases from Contra Costa County should be filed. Those cases in Solano County which are closer to the Sacramento office may be filed there. Most of the Walnut Creek staff have been reassigned to Oakland.

The division’s intention to close the office was announced in a memo from Administrative Director Richard Gannon to the local workers’ compensation community on Nov. 1, 2002. In it he pointed out that the decision to close the office was based entirely upon the budget constraints that DWC is facing during the current fiscal year and which is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

Walnut Creek currently has unneeded space, due to the planned call center never being established and is reasonably close to other offices, he said. In addition, Oakland is currently experiencing staff shortages, and there is sufficient space there to absorb the Walnut Creek staff.