Workers' Compensation
1. Authority and Responsibility
Major responsibilities that cannot be delegated:
- Responsible for making sure employees are adequately trained to immediately report workplace injuries and illnesses to Workers’ Compensation.
- Responsible for making sure department representatives understand how Cal OSHA defines a serious injury and the need to immediately report such instances to Employee Health & Safety.
- Responsible for departmental system to adequately investigate root causes of employee injury and illnesses for the purpose of preventing reoccurrence in the future.
- Responsible for departmental adherence to UC Davis PPM 370-20 requiring 60 days of modified duty accommodations and a good faith effort to continue same thereafter.
- Establishes and supports departmental responsibility to meet medical restrictions as imposed by employee physicians.
2. Delegations
Major responsibilities that can be delegated:
- Employees should be referred to Occupational Health for treatment unless employee previously elected treatment through the Designation of Physician form. The filing of such form should be verified through Workers Compensation.
- Workers’ Compensation will maintain the OSHA 300 log.
- Workers’ Compensation will coordinate on-going claim handling and benefits delivery with the campus third party administrator, Sedgwick.
- Designate a Workers’ Compensation departmental coordinator to work with the Workers’ Compensation office.
3. Areas of Potential Risks
Cal-OSHA regulations require, under the General Duty clause, that employers maintain a safe and healthy work environment. Workers’ Compensation is both a federal and state regulation requiring specific benefits for medical care and compensation. Failure to provide safe working conditions and benefits can result in penalties and litigation. HIPAA is a federal regulation regarding the confidentiality of medical records. Fines and restrictions can be levied if HIPAA is violated.