Employee Obligations

Any time an incident occurs that may qualify for Worker's Compensation, the employee is responsible for the following:

1. All work-related incidents, injuries or illnesses must be immediately (within 24 hours of the incident) reported to a supervisor and/or Human Resources Client Partner.

2. Employees must obtain medical treatment for work-related injury or illness. If an employee is in need of first aid or urgent care as the result of a work-related incident, injury or illness, the employee may go immediately to a medical provider that accepts workers’ compensation of his or her choice. If the employee has suffered a medical emergency, including but not limited to difficulty breathing, profuse bleeding, loss of consciousness, severe allergic reaction, or fracture, 911 must be called and the employee transported to the nearest emergency room.

3. Employees must cooperate with the independent medical examination process, under the Workers’ Compensation Law, or risk the nonpayment of workers’ compensation benefits and the closure of the Workers’ Compensation claim.

4. Employees must follow the absence and leave notification procedures of the university.

5. Employees are required to contact Benefits Administration for FMLA leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (“FMLA”), to determine FMLA eligibility. FMLA runs concurrently with Workers’ Compensation leave.

6. When an employee has been released by his or her treating physician to return to work, the employee must notify the HR client partner and the Office of Risk Management and the employee's supervisor. Written clearance to return to work must be required.

7. Workers compensation claims are subject to investigation by the university and its Third Party Administrator. Full cooperation by the employee is essential and expected for the effective and timely management of claims.

8. Job Status: Approved workers’ compensation does not automatically guarantee continued employment in the same or any other position at the university.  Employees who believe they may need a reasonable accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of their job, including a period of leave, should promptly contact the university’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity.

Employee's Rights and Obligations EMP-1 (PDF) outlines an employee's rights and responsibilities according to District of Columbia Workers Compensation Law. A Guide to Filing a Workers' Compensation Claim (WC Guide) (PDF) is a useful reference for understanding the employee's and supervisor's responsibilities when filing a claim.

Information contained in this Policy is based on applicable workers’ compensation laws as of the date this Policy was last amended.  These laws may change from time to time.