Worker’s Compensation Policy

In accordance with Indiana’s Worker’s Compensation law and regulations, the University’s contracted Worker’s Compensation insurance carrier pays medical expenses related to a work-related injury or illness when a compensable injury or illness occurs. As provided by the law, the insurance carrier and the employer have the right to choose the medical provider who will provide treatment.

In addition, as required by Indiana’s Worker’s Compensation law, our carrier provides income compensation benefits after an employee has been absent from work for seven (7) calendar days. Income compensation is paid at 2/3 of the employee’s normal pay (up to the maximum required by Indiana law). More specifically:

1. The University, although not required to do so by law, pays the wage or salary for the day of the accident/incident if the employee must leave the workstation for medical attention. The next calendar day is considered day one (1). The University, again voluntarily, will pay the wage or salary at full pay for absences ordered by the Workers Compensation physician that occur on regularly scheduled work days during the first seven calendar days following the accident/incident. The payment received during these seven calendar days is not deducted from accumulated sick, personal or vacation time unless the insurance carrier later determines that the claim does not qualify under the Indiana Worker’s Compensation regulations.
2. The insurance carrier’s coverage for income compensation begins, in accordance with the Indiana Worker’s Compensation law, on the eighth (8th) full calendar day of absence. Compensation will be paid at 2/3 of the normal work day pay. The University will permit employees to choose to supplement the remaining 1/3 of each work day with available sick leave, Salary Compensation coverage, personal time and/or vacation time at the employee’s discretion. The use of paid time is not required by the employee, however, the decision not to use paid time will have implications for the continuation of the employee’s benefits (see #4 below).
3. If the absences extend beyond twenty-one (21) calendar days, the insurance carrier will, as required by Indiana Worker’s Compensation law, pay the employee for the regularly scheduled work days during the first seven (7) calendar days of the absence. The carrier will pay at 2/3 of the normal pay for each work day. Since the University will have already paid the employee for these same work days at full pay, the employee must agree to and will be required to sign over the check from the insurance carrier to the University so that the employee is not overcompensated for loss time during the first seven (7) calendar days of absence.
4. The University provides the benefit to its employees of allowing them to supplement the Worker’s Compensation payments received from the insurance carrier with available sick leave, Salary Compensation leave, personal time and/or vacation time in increments (1/3 of a normal work day’s pay) that will allow their total compensation to equal their normal pay. As covered in #2 above, this is a voluntary choice on the part of the employee and is not a requirement. However, it is important for the employee to note that the supplemental paychecks from the University generated by the voluntary decision to use available paid leave to supplement the insurance carrier compensation will permit the University to make deductions for the employee’s share of health insurance premiums, deductions for retirement plan contributions, and will allow the payroll system to continue to credit accrual of vacation and sick time for hourly employees. If the employee chooses not to supplement the insurance carrier compensation or if the employee exhausts all available leave time, the employee’s contributions for retirement and the hourly employee’s accrual of vacation and sick leave time will cease until such time as the employee returns to pay status. Health insurance benefits will continue for the duration of the Worker’s Compensation leave but the employee will need to make arrangements with Human Resources and the Cash Receipts office to pay the employee’s share of health insurance premiums directly to the University each month. Should arrangements not be made and followed through upon by the employee for payment of the insurance premiums, insurance coverage may be terminated.
5. If the injury/illness sustained by the employee results in a temporary partial disability (i.e., places restrictions on the employee which will allow the employee to work full-time or part-time with light duty or part-time with no other restrictions and results in reduction in the normal pay of the employee), all of the considerations listed above will still apply with the exception that the regular paycheck received by the employee from the University will address the issues outlined in #4 above, even if the employee chooses not to supplement the remaining compensation loss (and not covered by the insurance carrier) with available paid leave time.