Workers’ compensation is a mandatory insurance program provided by the University of Minnesota that provides for payment of medical expenses and lost wages for employees who suffer work-related injuries or illness. This system may also provide permanent disability benefits for those who qualify. Minnesota state law regulates which benefits are due to an injured employee. The University pays the full cost of the workers’ compensation program and contracts with Sedgwick Claims Management Services (SCMS) to administer the claims.
Reporting:
It’s important that supervisors are notified right away when an employee is injured during work. Per the University's Administrative Policy | Reporting Workers' Compensation Related Injuries, upon first knowledge of an injury or illness, supervisors must submit the First Report of Injury within 8 business hours (1 work day). Early reporting will allow the University and Sedgwick to communicate with the employee about additional resources as needed. See the Procedure | Reporting and Managing a Worker’s Compensation Claim for further employee and supervisor responsibilities.
Supervisors/Employees:
First Report of Injury Form - (Electronic Form, preferred)
Temporary Prescription Drug ID Card - (PDF fillable version)
Accidents (non-employee):
Bodily Injury/ Property Damage Report - (PDF fillable version)
Bio-Hazard-Related Injury - (HTML: Environmental Health and Safety Office)
University Policies:
University of Minnesota Administrative Policy in Reporting Workers' Compensation Related Injuries
University of Minnesota Procedure for Reporting and Managing a Workers' Compensation Claim
University of Minnesota FAQ for Reporting Workers' Compensation Related Injuries
Lost Time From Work Due to Medical Appointments:
Lost time from work due to a medical appointment is generally not covered and paid by Sedgwick. It is a common practice for an employee to use their own sick time accruals for their medical appointments. It is recommended and preferred that an employee treats with their medical provider outside of their work hours, if they can. It is also understood that an employee cannot always treat with their medical provider outside of their work hours and their supervisor may or may not be able to allow flexibility in their work hours. Supervisors are encouraged to allow an employee to flex their time to attend their work-related medical appointment whenever possible. It is important for an employee to communicate their medical appointment needs to their supervisor as well as their Sedgwick claims representative. Sedgwick can make the determination to pay for medical appointments when they are communicated with about the appointments and the timing of such, but again, it is not a guarantee they will pay for the lost time for medical appointments. Sedgwick looks at them on a case by case basis and there are many things they take into consideration when making a determination to pay or not to pay for lost time for medical appointments.
If Sedgwick has made the determination to pay for the lost time for the medical appointment, there are specific codes that get entered into payroll so the employee does not get paid from the University as well as Sedgwick for the same hours. The employee and supervisor should work with UMD HR to ensure the correct coding is used.
If Sedgwick has made the determination not to pay for the lost time for the medical appointment, the employee would use their own sick leave accruals with specific coding to depict the time away from work as work comp related. The employee and supervisor should work with UMD HR to ensure the correct coding is used.
Compensation Options for Work-related Injuries:
The employee can choose one of the two options below to be paid when losing time from work for a work-related injury:
- The employee gets paid 1/3rd from the University. The employee uses their sick, comp and/or vacation accruals for that 1/3rd. Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc. (Sedgwick, the insurance company) pays the employee 2/3rds of their average weekly wage when their claim is approved.
- The employee gets paid nothing by the University. The employee does not have to use their sick, comp or vacation accruals for a work-related injury. Sedgwick pays 2/3rds of the employee’s average weekly wage when their claim is approved.
It is important this is done in a timely manner to avoid overpayments from the University or Sedgwick.
Please ensure you communicate any lost time pertaining to this injury. It is important that you do so in a timely manner to avoid any overpayments between the University and Sedgwick. Depending on how many days of lost time an individual has, they may be eligible for FMLA that would run concurrently with their workers’ compensation claim.
If you have questions you can contact your Sedgwick Claims Manager or UMD HR’s Workers’ Compensation Coordinator.
UMD HR Workers’ Compensation Contact
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 218-726-7161
If you have any medical documents or doctor notes, please fax them the confidential UMD HR fax at 218-726-6590 or email them to [email protected] and we will ensure Sedgwick receives them as well.