• Meet with the employee to discuss their claim and complete the First Report of Injury form in Employee Self-Service within 24 hours of reporting the injury to Workers' Compensation.
• Direct the employee (and assist as needed) to obtain medical care from an approved provider.
• Remind the employee to seek subsequent medical care for their work-related injury. All medical care (i.e. checkups) related to the workers' compensation claim will be directed and approved by providers as authorized by Sedgwick CMS.
• Review with the employee information on the Patient Status Report (PSR) related to their medical diagnosis, treatment plan, recommended physical restrictions, and follow-up appointments. This should take place within 24 hours of each medical appointment.
• Review with the employee information on the current PSR to confirm restrictions/capabilities and discuss the availability of appropriate temporary work.
• Discuss appropriate work assignments and schedules with the employee while considering restrictions/capabilities.
• Document restricted duty work assignment offers and employee responsibilities via email or hard copy. The employee must respond to your communication within 24 hours of notification. If they don't, send a reminder email. If the employee still does not respond, contact University Benefits.
• Allow the employee to work only when an updated PSR is provided following each medical appointment. You may discipline the employee for failure to provide the updated PSR from their medical provider.
• Complete the Missed Time Weekly Report and submit it by 5 p.m. on Mondays to University Benefits.
• Verify the employee is placed on a leave of absence if they are missing time and choose not to supplement workers' compensation benefits with accrued leave.
• Review the circumstances of the injury to determine if the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) applies. Provisions of the FMLA may apply in situations where workers' compensation missed time benefits are also involved.
• Report knowledge of any irregularities or extenuating circumstances with the claim to Sedgwick CMS to assist in claim processing and investigating.

Work-related injuries are defined as any injury, illness, or condition experienced during employment and related to job duties and tasks while at work.

Workers' compensation law states an employer is required to provide workers' compensation benefits for qualifying conditions.

When a work-related injury occurs, a First Report of Injury form must be completed in Employee Self-Service. As part of that process, a workers' compensation claim is filed.

Please direct questions to wc@uiowa.edu.

Yes, a First Report of Injury form must be submitted. Please ensure all details relevant to the incident are included in the report.

• File a First Report of Injury form in Employee Self-Service as soon as possible. It is not too late to complete a FROI. 
• Ensure the employee makes an appointment with UI Occupational Health in Coralville. If the employee has medical documentation regarding the injury, please have them bring it with them to their appointment.
• After the appointment, the employee should provide you with a Patient Status Report (PSR) within one work day.

Here’s how you can explain time off and pay to your employee:

• When Benefits Apply: Employees may be eligible for missed time benefits if they are medically unable to work due to their injury or if the department cannot provide a temporary work assignment. 

• Waiting Period: Inform employees that missed time benefits begin after three calendar days of absence. If they are out for more than 14 calendar days, the waiting period will also be covered retroactively.

• Payment Amount: Workers' compensation benefits typically cover about two-thirds of an employee’s regular weekly salary. However, there is a maximum payment limit, meaning higher-income employees may receive a lower percentage of their usual pay.

• Supplementing Pay: Employees may choose to use accrued leave (such as sick or vacation time) to supplement their workers' compensation benefits so that their total income is closer to their regular salary.

• Restricted Duty Work: If an employee is able to work on restricted duty, they will receive their full salary instead of missed time benefits.

• Payment Process: Missed time benefits are paid weekly once the claim is approved. Payments are issued by Sedgwick CMS and mailed directly to the employee’s home. The first check’s timing depends on the completion of Sedgwick’s claim investigation.

Please direct questions about time and pay to wc@uiowa.edu.

First Report of Injury: To complete this form, log in to Employee Self-Service > General Systems & Tools > Workers Compensation. The form must be submitted within 24 hours of a reported injury.

Missed Time Weekly Report: This form should be completed by designated departmental staff if an employee has missed work or is on restricted hours due to injury. If an employee will miss at least a full day of work, please notify University Benefits within 24 hours of the first absence, then weekly thereafter using the Missed Time Weekly Report in Employee Self-Service > General Systems & Tools > Workers Compensation. The report must be submitted to University Benefits by 5 p.m. each Monday.

Restricted Work Assignment: Designated department staff and the affected employee should complete this form after each medical appointment. It documents the terms of the employee's restricted work assignment. 

It depends. 

FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) and workers' compensation can be used together if the reason for absence is due to a qualifying serious illness or injury and the employer properly notifies the employee in writing that the leave will count as FMLA.

Departments should notify Faculty and Staff Disability Services or Leave and Disability Administration (UI Health Care) when a work-related injury requires an absence of three or more days.

When an employee does not work due to a work-related injury, the full workday is designated as FMLA. When an employee works partial days, only the hours worked count toward FMLA. Departments should use Code 56 FMLA Workers Comp (FMLA OJOB in ELMS) to designate the absence as work-related FMLA.

An employee is eligible to transfer to another department or position while on temporary restricted work if the following applies:

• The employee is responsible for informing the hiring department of any temporary restrictions in place due to injury.
• The hiring department must be able to accommodate the temporary work restriction in place at the time of the transfer.

Visit our Workers' Compensation Resources webpage.