As required by Idaho law, all employees of Aberdeen School District are covered by Workers Compensation Insurance for bodily injury, disease or death caused by an accident arising out of and in the course of their employment with the district. An employee who is injured in a work-related accident or by a work-related illness may be eligible for Worker’s Compensation benefits. Worker’s Compensation benefits include, but may not be limited to, medical, income, rehabilitation, temporary partial disability, permanent partial disability, and death benefits to family survivors. The scope of available benefits are described and defined by the Idaho Worker’s Compensation Law, and district policy neither increases nor decreases the scope or availability of such benefits. Employees who are injured in a work-related accident are expected to follow the procedures set forth in this policy. Employees are also required to cooperate with the district’s Worker’s Compensation insurance carrier to coordinate and effectuate appropriate medical treatment and to secure other available Worker’s Compensation benefits, including but not limited to income benefits.
Procedures
The following procedures apply to all work-related accidents:
1. The injured employee must report an accident or injury in the workplace, whether medical attention is needed or not, to their immediate supervisor within forty-eight (48) hours of the accident or injury, unless prohibited by the employee’s medical condition, in which case required forms shall be completed as soon as the employee’s medical condition reasonably allows. Absent the need for emergency medical care, all district employees who require medical attention in the event of a workplace injury should communicate with their immediate supervisor with regard to seeking out medical attention at a designated occupational health clinic. The supervisor and employee will fill out an accident report form as provided by the district and send it to the human resource officer. The human resource officer will report the injury and claim to the district’s Worker’s Compensation carrier to coordinate income, medical, and other benefits available to the employee.
2. The injured employee shall immediately obtain first aid or emergency medical care as necessary to stabilize their medical condition. If medical attention is required beyond first aid, the employee must go to any of the district’s occupational health facilities/providers associated with the current district health plan. Treatment shall, to the extent possible, be in accordance with the requirements of the district’s Worker’s Compensation insurance policy. If the employee chooses to go to a physician or facility other than those associated with the district health plan, the State Insurance Fund may deny the employee’s claim. The employee would then be responsible for those charges.
3. The district will investigate as it deems appropriate to determine:
a. Whether continuing hazardous conditions exist that require remediation; or
b. Whether the employee’s work environment caused or contributed to the reported accident.
4. In the event the employee is unable to work, the district will allow the employee to take available sick leave benefits until the date that Worker’s Compensation income benefits are made available to the employee under the district’s Worker’s Compensation policy. If the employee does not have a sufficient amount of accumulated sick or vacation leave, or earned compensatory time, to cover the initial five (5) days of absence, the employee will not receive any compensation.
5. In all instances where an employee is unable to work because of an injury or can return to work with restrictions, he/she must obtain a written work release from the treating physician prior to returning to work. The release must be provided to the employee’s immediate supervisor who will make a copy and provide the original to the human resource officer for placement in the employee’s personnel file.
6. Employees are entitled to receive Worker’s Compensation income benefits and leave/vacation pay or compensatory time simultaneously, provided, however, that total income shall not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the employee’s normal pay. The sick or vacation leave payment will not go beyond the time period covered by the last payment made by the State Insurance Fund.
7. For employees eligible for district benefits, the district will continue to pay its share of employee’s life, health and dental insurance premiums during the period of disability. The employee will have his/her self-paid premiums withheld from his/her paycheck provided funds are available to the employee from accrued sick or vacation leave. If self-paid premiums are beyond that level, arrangements to pay those premiums must be made with the district payroll/human resource officer.
8. If the employee is a member of the Public Employee Retirement System (PERSI), he/she may continue to earn service credit if he/she is receiving some salary through the use of sick or vacation leave while drawing workers’ compensation benefits.
9. The employee’s income maintenance and retirement credit will continue as long as he/she has sick leave available, unless the employee has been laid off or resigned due to his/her inability to return to the position and perform assignments as required by the job description.
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LEGAL REFERENCE:
Idaho Code Section 33-1216(c)
Idaho Code §§72-101 et seq.
ADOPTED: April 19, 2023
AMENDED: