All Dartmouth employees are covered under the provisions of workers' compensation laws. Workers' compensation covers employees' reasonable and necessary medical expenses and provides weekly income for lost time from work due to an accident or an illness deemed compensable under the workers' compensation law.
Dartmouth College
Employment Policies and Procedures
Policy last updated: May 2015
Applies to: All Employees
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that any worker injured in the course and scope of employment receives timely access to all the benefits as prescribed by workers' compensation laws.
All Dartmouth employees are covered under the provisions of workers' compensation laws. Workers' compensation covers employees' reasonable and necessary medical expenses and provides weekly income for lost time from work due to an accident or an illness deemed compensable under the workers' compensation law.
Workers' compensation is regulated on a state by state basis. The majority of Dartmouth employees are covered under the New Hampshire Workers' Compensation Statute which is regulated by the New Hampshire Department of Labor in Concord, NH.
NH Workers' Compensation law mandates that employers provide, and employees accept, meaningful temporary alternative work when a modified duty release is issued by a treating physician. In addition to being mandated by law, temporary alternative duty work is in the best interest of employees and Dartmouth as the financial impact to both parties is reduced.
Procedures on reporting workers' compensation claims, including what to report and when to report are outlined at: https://www.dartmouth.edu/finance/financial-management/risk_insurance/incidents/employee_injury.php
With few exceptions (such as medical emergencies) employees should report all injuries to their supervisor before the end of the work day. Supervisors are responsible for reporting the accident to the Office of Risk and Internal Controls Services within 24 hours of an accident. Timely reporting ensures the best recall of the facts and the prompt delivery of benefits to employees.
The WC Injury Report form is jointly completed by the employee and supervisor. The form can be located at: https://www.dartmouth.edu/finance/financial-management/risk_insurance/incidents/employee_injury.php
For information on workers' compensation and short term disability please see: policies.dartmouth.edu/policy/leaves-absence
Employees who have a work-related illness or injury causing them to lose time from work are paid disability benefits by workers' compensation according to the state of New Hampshire regulations. If an employee is eligible for short-term disability (STD) and is receiving disability benefits from workers' compensation, STD can be used in coordination to supplement the workers' compensation payments. In no case will the use of these benefits exceed 100 percent of the employees' base pay.
The length of time an employee uses STD and workers' compensation in coordination cannot exceed the number of weeks the employee could use STD at the 100% pay-replacement level (between one and eight weeks), or the date the employee returns to full or part-time work, whichever is sooner. The application procedure for using STD with workers' compensation is the same as for STD alone. More information on short-term disability benefits and procedures for filing a claim may be found at https://www.dartmouth.edu/hr/benefits_compensation/coming_going/leaves_absence/std_claims.php
Short-term disability and workers' compensation leaves will run concurrently with Family and Medical Leave (FML). Information regarding FML may be located at: https://www.dartmouth.edu/hr/benefits_compensation/coming_going/leaves_absence/fmla.php