Occupational Injuries and Workers Compensation
Occupational Injury/illness, Medical Treatment And Workers' Compensation Policy
Policy
Loyola University New Orleans employees who incur bona fide occupational related
injuries or illnesses shall be entitled to all necessary medical and hospital
care. Injured employees who miss more than seven days of work, and are found
eligible, will also receive compensation for a portion of their lost wages.
Definition
Workers' Compensation is defined as the benefits a qualified injured employee receives
from their employer for medical treatment and in lieu of their salary for lost
time due to an occupational injury or illness. An occupational injury or illness
is defined as a personal injury by accident or an illness of an employee arising
out of the course and scope of their employment during normal working hours.
Application
This policy applies to all employees of the University. Benefits are available
only if an employee is injured while in the normal course and scope of their
employment.
Procedure
If you are hurt at work or become ill because of what you think is a work-related
exposure:
a) Immediately report your accident or illness to your supervisor.
b) Seek first aid and medical attention.
c) Complete accident report in Student Health Services office.
When the Risk Management office receives the appropriate information, a claim is reported to Loyola's Workers Compensation insurance company and to the Louisiana Office of Workers Compensation. No further action is required from you to initiate a claim, however you must keep the University informed of your condition regularly through your supervisor.
Reporting
An injured employee must ensure the appropriate documentation and medical information
is provided to the University. Forms for reporting accidents/incident are located
in the Student Health Services office. Injured employees must obtain, complete
and return this form to Student Health within 24 hours of their injury. If the
employee is unable to comply, the employee's supervisor will be responsible for
completing the form on the employee's behalf.
Supervisors must also complete a Supervisor's Accident Investigation Report and submit it to the Risk Management office within 24 hours of the accident. If there are any continuing risks of harm, Risk Management should be notified immediately. Notify University Police if after business hours. Supervisors must notify Human Resources - Payroll and Benefits when an employee is missing work due to a work related injury to ensure proper handling of employee benefits.
Medical Treatment Procedure
All employees needing minor medical treatment for work-related injuries or illnesses
should report to Student Health Services, who will refer the employee for further
care if appropriate. Hospital emergency services should be used only in serious
medical situations. Should life-threatening circumstances occur, the University
Police (UP) should be called at 3434. UP will contact the appropriate personnel
and paramedics. Injured employees taken to a hospital should identify themselves
as Loyola University employees with occupational injuries.
Workers' Compensation Benefits
If, after initial treatment or examination, the injured employee is authorized
to be absent from work and/or will require additional treatment or medical care,
he/she may be eligible for certain disability benefits under the LA Workers'
Compensation Act. This will depend on the length of authorized absence.
Any follow-up medical/hospital expense incurred by an employee from his/her personal physician and/or hospital facility for treatment of a work related injury must be reported to the Risk Management office or the claims adjuster assigned to the claim. It is the responsibility of each employee to keep the University informed of his/her current medical condition.
Workers' Compensation benefits may be postponed, withheld or suspended should the employee fail or refuse to submit detailed medical reports or other information from his/her personal physician or hospital to the University; or fail or refuse to appear for a medical examination by a physician designated by the University.
Any questions regarding Workers' Compensation claim status, payment of medical bills, modified duty, or other matters associated with this policy should be made to the Risk Management office at extension 3141 and Human Resources at extension 7757.
Employee Status
The absence of an employee who is receiving compensation benefits under the Workers'
Compensation Act shall not be charged against the employee's sick leave or vacation.
Where an employee is entitled to receive compensation under the Workers' Compensation
Act, the employee will not be eligible for Sick Leave. The employee shall suffer
no loss in years of service but will not accumulate service during this absence.
Pay/Benefits
If you are entitled to weekly compensation benefits because your injury prevents
you from returning to work for more than seven calendar days, benefits are payable
beginning on the eighth day. You should receive your first benefit check within
14 days after you notified Loyola of the injury. During the period of temporary
disability, you are entitled to receive 2/3 of your average weekly wage at the
time of the injury.
Qualified employees on Workers Compensation benefits will be paid for normally scheduled hours (regular wages) for the first seven calendar days following the day of the accident/incident. This pay will not be charged to sick leave. This leave should be coded 135 on the employee's time sheet.
Once Loyola's workers compensation insurance carrier determines the injury and absence is compensable, the employee will be paid 2/3rds of their average weekly wage by the insurance company. Loyola will pay the 1/3rds difference for the second seven calendar days (regularly scheduled work hours). The employee's sick leave will not be charged.
If the employee has not recovered after two weeks following the injury, the employee's accumulated sick leave, if any, may be used by the University to pay the 1/3rds difference between the compensation paid by the insurance company and the employee's base salary. After sick leave is exhausted, the employee may elect to use accumulated vacation leave to pay the difference.
A Time & Attendance Report must be signed by the injured employee requesting that accrued sick leave and/or vacation leave be used in conjunction with any Workers Compensation payments received. When all sick and vacation leave has been used, the injured employee will receive only the compensation check from the Workers Compensation insurance carrier.
Loyola's insurer will pay for the first 7 days only if the employee is unable to work more than 42 calendar days. If this occurs, the employee will be responsible for reimbursing Loyola for this pay, as they would have already been paid for that time pursuant to this policy.
An injured employee who is off the job due to a work related accident must contact Human Resources to maintain their benefit coverage by paying their share of the premiums.
