Source: http://www.dodea.edu/Offices/HR/employees/benefits/injuryCompensation/employeeResponsibilities.cfm
Timestamp: 2017-11-24 18:45:40
Document Index: 337870829

Matched Legal Cases: ['§10', '§10', '§10', '§10', '§10', '§10']

Employee ResponsibilitiesEmployee Responsibilities
Per 20 C.F.R §10.205, to be eligible for COP, the injured employee must meet three requirements:
Sustain a traumatic injury which is job-related and the cause of the disability and/or the cause of lost time due to the need for medical examination and treatment;
Provide timely written notice of such injury on Form CA-1 or other OWCP-approved form; and
In addition to those three requirements, the employee must also present medical evidence in support of any claimed disability. The injured employee is also responsible for advising his or her physician of any available modified duties and for returning to duty upon release to any available work, whether regular or modified.
a. Traumatic Injury. A traumatic injury is defined as a condition of the body caused by a specific event or incident, or series of events or incidents, within a single workday or shift. Such condition must be caused by external force, including stress or strain, which is identifiable as to time and place of occurrence and member or function of the body affected. See 20 C.F.R. §10.5(ee). Such an injury is distinguishable from an occupational disease or illness in that the latter is a condition produced by the work environment over a period longer than a single work day or shift. See 20 C.F.R. §10.5(q).
c. The employee's first work stoppage must occur within 45 days of the date of injury in order for the employee to be entitled to continued pay. If the employee's work stoppage occurs more than 45 days after the injury, the employee may claim compensation for leave without pay or leave buy back on Form CA-7.
d. Medical Evidence. The employee must present the employing agency with medical evidence supporting disability resulting from the claimed traumatic injury within 10 calendar days after filing a claim for COP. See 20 C.F.R. §10.210(b). The employing agency may continue the employee's pay absent such evidence if the nature and severity of the injury warrant the continuation. COP may be reinstated retroactively if payment was not initially authorized but supporting medical evidence is received later, as noted in 20 C.F.R. §10.222(a)(1).
e. Advising the Physician. Where the agency has advised the employee that a specific alternative position exists, the employee must furnish a description of the position to the physician and inquire whether and when he or she will be able to perform such duties. Likewise, where the agency has advised that it is willing to accommodate the employee's work limitations, the employee must so advise the attending physician and ask the physician to specify the limitations imposed by the injury. In both instances, the employee must provide the agency with a copy of the physician's response. See 20 C.F.R. §10.210(e).
f. Return to Duty. The injured employee must return to work upon notification by the attending physician that the employee is able to perform regular work or light duty, and the agency has advised that work within those restrictions is available. If the employee refuses to do so, the continued absence from work may result in an overpayment. COP may also be terminated if the employee refuses to respond to the agency's offer of work within five work days of receipt of the offer. The agency may make the offer to the employee over the telephone, but must confirm the offer in writing as soon as possible thereafter. The OWCP cannot evaluate the position to determine whether the position meets the claimant's physical restrictions until the position is offered in writing.