Worker’s Compensation
All Delta State University employees are covered by the Workers’ Compensation provisions for the State of Mississippi.
Employee: This generally includes faculty and staff employees who are working on paid appointments by the University. It generally excludes students or temporary employees. For specific information on who is considered an employee, contact the Human Resources Department.
Supervisor: An employee designated by management who exercises major supervisory functions over another employee or employees. These functions include hiring, evaluating, assigning work, and disciplining employees.
Qualifying Job Injury: An injury in which the employee is injured during the course of their University employment.
PROCEUDRES and RESPONSIBILITIES
The expense of this coverage is paid for by the University without cost to the employee. Workers’ compensation includes only such accidents or injuries as occur on the job in the performance of the University assigned duties. This insurance pays all medical expenses of employees resulting from on-the-job injury or occupational illness. The coverage also provides compensation for absence from work, partial and total disability, and loss of life due to an injury on the job without regard to fault as to the cause of the injury or occupational disease.
Every injury must be reported immediately to the Student Health Services Center and the Human Resources Department. The appropriate form for reporting injury will be completed by the Student Health Services Center and forward to the Human Resources Department. The appropriate form must be filed by the Human Resources Department with the workers’ compensation carrier within five working days of the date of the injury.
Failure to report verbally to the supervisor and to complete the report form within the specified time frame will jeopardize your receiving on the job injury benefits. Fraudulent claims are grounds for immediate termination. Workers’ Compensation fraud is considered a felony.
An employee who sustains a “qualifying job injury” shall be eligible for job injury leave and Workers’ Compensation benefits.
All on‑the‑job injuries should be reported to the department supervisor immediately on occurrence. Each injury should be treated at the Health Center. Emergencies should be sent to the emergency room at Bolivar Medical Center or when away from campus, the nearest emergency facility. The attending physician will determine the extent of the injury and provide the Human Resources Department with a written prognosis of recovery.
Follow‑up treatment will be prescribed as necessary and a return‑to‑work date will be issued. Workers’ Compensation will pay for all charges associated with the workers’ compensation treatment program.
Physicians or medical institutions providing all or any part of the required medical services should be informed that employees are covered by Workers’ Compensation at the University so that proper claims may be made for services rendered. (No claim for medical service relating to an on-the-job injury is to be reported under the State & School Employees’ Health Insurance Plan.)
Generally, physicians and medical institutions will file Workers’ Compensation claims with the insurance company for full payment for services. However, if patients are required to make cash payment for services, a receipt should be furnished to the Human Resources Department and assistance will be provided to obtain reimbursement from the insurance company.
Excuse/Release to Return to Work
Employees are responsible for informing/updating their supervisor while they are absent from work due to an on-the-job injury and/or when their doctors have released them to return to work.
No workers’ compensation payment except medical benefits shall be allowed for the first five (5) days of the temporary disability. Accrued personal or major medical leave may be used to cover all or part of the period of the five (5) days where no workers’ compensation payment will be made. Employees who have accrued sick or personal leave benefits are entitled to these benefits should they request them, along with payment from Workers’ Compensation. Beginning on the sixth day of temporary disability, employees are to be compensated and in the case where the injury results in disability of fourteen (14) days or more, compensation shall be paid retroactive to the date of disability. Workers’ Compensation is paid at 66 2/3 percent of employees’ average weekly wage with a maximum determined by the Workers’ Compensation Commission. Compensation is paid for a maximum of 450 weeks.
The injured employee cannot use accrued personal and/or major medical leave and receive worker’s compensation benefits simultaneously if the combined of both benefits result in the employee being paid a total amount that exceeds 100% of the wages earned at the time of injury. The injured employee may use only as much of his accrued personal and/or major medical leave as necessary to constitute the difference between the amount of temporary disability workers’ compensation benefits received and 100%.
Employees who are absent from an approved work due to a work-related injury or illness may continue health and optional insurances by contacting the Human Resources Department and paying the appropriate premiums.
Employees’ supervisors must inform their supervisor or department head within 24 hours of an employee’s return to work. When employees who have been injured on the job are released to return to normal duty by their attending physician, they should be returned to their regular job as soon as possible. If employees are not able to return to their regular job because the attending physician has released them to return to restricted duty only, the University reserves the right to:
- Place employees on leave until such time as employees are able to return to work and perform all of the essential requirements of their position. Employees may use Major Medical Leave and/or Personal Leave until all accrued leave is depleted, at which time they may be placed on Family and Medical Leave; (See Family and Medical Leave Policy). If employees are not able to return to work at the end of the medical leave of absence, they may be terminated from University employment.
- Return employees to a vacant position that they are qualified and capable of performing. Any such assignment may be on a temporary or regular basis. Employees’ rate of pay should be adjusted and established according to applicable procedures. Upon receipt of a written release to return to normal duty by the attending physician, employees may be returned to their former position and paid accordingly, if their position is still vacant.
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Board of Trustees Policies and Bylaws
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Workers’ Compensation Commission – State of Mississippi
