Workers' Compensation Training

Please join the Bureau of Indian Education Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) Team for our Supervisor Training.

Upcoming OWCP ECMP Supervisor Training Information:

26 August 2022 - Present by Patricia Patch, Human Resources Specialist (OWCP)

Date/Time: Friday August 26, 2022, at 10:00 (CST) for approximately one (1) hour

Where: Microsoft Teams

Instructions: Please send an email to bieowcp@bia.gov to request an invite.

If you are not able to attend the training dates schedule, please send an email to bieowcp@bia.gov and we can look into scheduling a separate training.

BIE ECOMP Supervisor Training Slides

Employees: What to do if injured at work?

If you are injured at work, you may be entitled to injury compensation benefits provided under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA). Federal employees have certain rights and responsibilities in filing for these benefits:

Immediately report any work-related injury to your supervisor. If your injury requires medical treatment, obtain care as soon as possible. If you sustain a traumatic injury, you may obtain a Form CA-16, Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment, from your supervisor or the Workers’ Compensation Specialist.

You have a right to choose your treating physician. You may elect to be treated by a qualified physician of your choice who is not excluded by the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP).

To protect your rights to certain benefits, complete the Form CA-1, Federal Employee's Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay/Compensation, or CA-2, Federal Employee's Notice of Occupational Disease and Claim for Compensation, electronically using Employees’ Compensation Operations & Management Portal (ECOMP) as soon as possible.

You would complete a Form CA-1 if your injury results from a specific event or a series of events during one workday or shift. For Continuation of Pay (COP) eligibility, must be filed within 30 days from the date of injury.

If you develop a condition due to prolonged exposure lasting more than one day or shift, complete a Form CA-2.

You may be asked to provide additional information. Although your supervisor or other agency representative may assist you, it is your responsibility to obtain the information needed to support your claim.

If you are temporarily unable to work because of your injury, you need to keep your supervisor informed about your medical condition and return to work as soon as your physician allows you to do so. Light duty assignments may be available if you are not able to perform your regular job, and if so, you must advise your physician of the availability of such assignments.

Employees' Compensation Operations & Management Portal (ECOMP) and Department of the Interior Safety Management Information Systems (SMIS)

On October 1, 2019, The Department of the Interior transitioned from using the DOI Safety Management Information System (SMIS) to using the Department of Labor (DOL)’s ECOMP system to file Workers’ Compensation Claims. Although injured employees will continue to initiate all safety-related events, through SMIS.

ECOMP: www.ecomp.dol.gov

Supervisors: Guide on Workers' Compensation Claims

When an employee is injured as a result of work, supervisors have certain basic responsibilities:

  • If the employee requires emergency medical treatment, ensure that they receive immediate care.
  • If the employee's injury results from a specific event or series of events within one workday or shift, the employee will need to complete a Form CA-1, Federal Employee's Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay/Compensation. If the employee develops a condition due to prolonged exposure lasting more than one day or shift, the employee will complete a Form CA-2, Federal Employee's Notice of Occupational Disease and Claim for Compensation. Employees must go through ECOMP to register and initiate their claim. If the employee is incapacitated, please contact the Workers Compensation Specialist.
  • If the employee has a traumatic injury (a specific event or series of events within one workday or shift), provide them with the Form CA-16, Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment. Please contact the Workers’ Compensation Specialist for assistance.
  • This form should be issued within four hours of the injury, whether or not the claim appears valid. For questionable claims, box 6b should be checked to indicate the doubtful nature. Only one Form CA-16 may be issued per traumatic injury. A Form CA-16 may not be issued for past medical care, except within 48 hours after emergency treatment if treatment was verbally authorized beforehand.
  • When completing Form CA-1 or CA-2, check to see that the facts are consistent. Complete the form and submit immediately, whether or not you feel that the claim should be approved. If you have specific information which casts doubt on the claim's validity, you may challenge it and supply supporting information, but you must still submit the claim promptly. Impeding the claimant from filing a claim may result in a fine, imprisonment, or both, under title 20 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §10.16(a).
  • If the employee has a traumatic injury, explain that they may be entitled to Continuation of Pay (COP) for absences due to disability or obtaining medical treatment, for not more than 45 calendar days following the injury if the claim was filed within 30 days. Any such absence must be supported by medical documentation. If you are unfamiliar with the COP provisions, contact the Workers’ Compensation Specialist for further information.
  • The Bureau of Indian Education has an obligation under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to accommodate the employee’s medical limitations if the treating physician indicates that the employee is capable of performing light duty. Keeping a partially disabled employee in the workplace tends to speed their recovery time, which benefits the employee and reduces agency costs. If the employee is totally disabled, or if you are unable to accommodate the restrictions, maintain contact with the employee during his or her absence from work. if the lost time extends beyond the 45-day COP period, advise your employee they have the option to use their personal leave or submit a CA-7 and/or CA-7a to claim compensation directly with OWCP.
  • You should advise the Workers’ Compensation Specialist promptly of any injuries occurring in your section. You should also refer the injured employee to the Workers’ Compensation Specialist for further assistance after taking the steps described above. The Workers’ Compensation Specialist will provide specific information throughout the course of the injury compensation claim, to both you and the injured employee.

Forms and Sites

Federal Employees' Compensation Act - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

DOL/OWCP FAQs: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/owcp/FECA/fec-faq

Bureau of Indian Education Workers' Compensation Specialist Contract Information:

Patricia Patch - Human Resource Specialist (OWCP)

Phone Number: (505) 206-7917

Fax Number: (505) 563-5305 

Email: patricia.patch@bie.edu

 

James Bartlett - OWCP Supervisor

Email:  james.bartlett@bie.edu