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Eastern Washington University strives to provide safe working conditions for all employees and volunteers. Worker’s Compensation is a state-run no-fault insurance program that provides benefits to employees who suffer job-related injuries or illnesses. All faculty, staff, and student employees (and volunteers) on EWU’s payroll are covered. If an employee or volunteer believes they have suffered a work-related injury or illness, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Eastern Washington University workers’ compensation program is insured through the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I).

If employees are injured on the job or diagnosed with an occupational disease, they must inform their supervisor and/or manager. All injuries/incidents and near misses should be reported on the EWU Incident Report Form within 24 hours. Timely reporting ensures the best recall of the facts and the prompt delivery of benefits to employees. EWU Incident Report Forms

If an employee’s injury results in a health care provider visit employees should make sure their provider knows their injury is job-related and that an industrial insurance claim must be sent to the Department of Labor and Industries. Their health care provider will complete an Activity Prescription Form after every provider visit. The employee will return the completed Activity Prescription Form (APF) to their supervisor and the Benefits Office.  An injured employee who is sent home by a health care provider on the day of injury will be paid out for the remainder of the workday on a one-time basis per injury.

Important: An employer cannot deny an employee the right to file a claim and an employer cannot penalize or discriminate against an employee for filing a claim. Every employee is entitled to worker’s compensation benefits for injury or illness which results from their job. Any false claim filed by an employee may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

For assistance, please contact:

Megan Jasmer HR Consultant – Leave Specialist

EWU Benefits Office

318 Showalter Hall, Cheney, WA 99004

mjasmer@ewu.edu  or Benefits@ewu.edu Phone: 509-359-4300   Fax: 509-359-2874

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The Benefits Office provides the following:

• Assist employees and supervisors with the incident reporting and workers’ compensation claims processes
• Manage and coordinate documents and important information related to the claim
• Coordinate the return to work processes with the employee, supervisors, L&I, health care providers, vocational counselors and other parties involved
• Manages the cost associated with the claim
• Manage the transitional duty program pertaining to modified duties in the workplace
• Manage The Stay at Work program: A financial incentive program that encourages Washington employers to find light-duty or transitional jobs for workers recovering from on-the-job injuries
• Provides Workers’ Compensation resources and assists in answering questions

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How to File a Claim

An EWU employee or volunteer who believes they have suffered an on the job injury or occupational illness may file a claim with Washington State Department of Labor & and Industries (L&I).

A note regarding receiving L & I medical care here in Cheney:
While historically, Cheney Rockwood and Cheney CHAS Clinic accepted initial visits for L & I claims, they no longer do so. If an injured employee must go to a Cheney clinic (emergency), the employee will be responsible for filing all of their L & I claim information. The medical providers will not file the worker’s compensation claim.

What does this mean for our employees who are injured on the job and require medical evaluation and/or treatment?
There are two newer occupational medicine clinics in the West Plains in Airway Heights:

• MultiCare Occupational Clinic:  9746 W Sunset Highway (just east of Walmart), 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. M-F
• Providence Occupational Clinic:  11919 W Sunset Highway (west of Walmart), 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. M-F

There are two CHAS urgent care clinics in Spokane that do accept L & I:

• Spokane Urgent Care North:  5901 Lidgerwood St, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. M-F, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. S-S
• Spokane Urgent Care Valley:  1502 N Vercler Rd, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. M-F, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. S-S
• There are numerous occupational medicine clinics in Spokane as well. Employees may seek out care at Emergency Rooms at local hospitals.

Please note EWU Policy 603-01: Campus Safety, Security, and Crime Prevention, Chp. 8-4, provides that:
“If someone on campus requires transportation for an emergency injury or illness, employees should call 911 and an emergency vehicle will transport the person in need of medical assistance to a medical facility. It is strongly recommended that employees do not transport individuals who are injured or ill to medical facilities.”

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Incident Report Process

Immediately Call 911, and then call EH&S (509.359.6496 or 509.559.5768) in the event of a:

On-the-job death*

Significant eye injury*

Hospitalization*

Amputation*

Note:  Per Washington State law, employers must report to L&I the death or in-patient hospitalization of any employee (within 8 hours) and any non-hospitalized amputation or loss of eye (within 24 hours) due to an on-the-job injury.

Incident Reporting

1. Employees and volunteers must report a work-related injury or illness to their supervisor as soon as possible and complete a university Incident Report within 24 hours.
2. In the case of an occupational disease, employees/volunteers should report the condition to their supervisor and fill out an Incident Report within 48 hours of the date a medical professional informs them that their condition may be related to their employment/volunteer service at EWU.
3. If an employee is prescribed modified duty, limited hours, or not released to work, the employee shall provide a copy of the Activity Prescription Form (APF) to their supervisor. Supervisors shall forward the Activity Prescription Form to the Benefits Office.
4. Supervisors with knowledge of a work-related injury or occupational disease will ensure that the Incident Report is completed and forwarded to Benefits Office at Benefits@ewu.edu. If the employee/volunteer is unable to complete his or her portion, the supervisor may complete that portion on the Incident Report.
5. Department heads must immediately notify the AVP-HR of any incident that results in the hospitalization, serious injury, or death of any employee or volunteer. If unable to reach the AVP-HR, the department head must call the University Police Department.