3 Workers’ Compensation Compliance Tips for Schools

How to Avoid Regulatory Scrutiny

When employees suffer work-related injuries, a state-regulated process is set in motion. Employers who don’t fulfill their obligations could face fines. Follow these three tips to avoid regulatory scrutiny and ensure your injured employees receive timely, accurate workers' compensation benefits.

1. Explain Your Employees’ Responsibilities

Do your employees know where to go for the claim-related information they need? Do they understand their mandated responsibilities?

• Make sure employees know how to report on-the-job injuries and where to seek treatment.
• Train any employee whom other employees are reasonably expected to report to, such as principals, supervisors, secretaries, and nurses, on their role in reporting and handling the reporting of work-related injuries.
• Show reasonable reports where to find instructions for your workers’ compensation reporting process.

2. Update Your Procedures and Forms

Employers are responsible for keeping official work-related injury and illness records and filing state workers’ compensation forms. Designate a claims administrator(s) and ensure they have a back up who knows how to access records. Provide your administrators and anyone on your campuses who is responsible for reporting injuries to the claim administrator with a procedure and instructions for meeting their obligations.

• Ensure all forms are up to date. Use this guide to learn which forms apply to each step in the claim process (login required).
• Identify employees responsible for alerting your claim administrator(s) of reported or known on-the-job injuries or illnesses on campuses and/or departments. Review their instructions and ensure they are up to date.
• Fund members with Workers’ Compensation coverage can request updated administrator and campus/department workers’ compensation instruction packets by emailing inquiry@tasbrmf.org.

3. Notify Your Staff About the Alliance

The Fund is part of the Political Subdivision Workers’ Compensation Medical Alliance (Alliance). The Alliance delivers quality care, expedites return-to-work, and saves costs for our members:*

• Ensure all new employees are given the Notice of Alliance Requirements and that they sign off on the Acknowledgement of Alliance Requirements (login required). This does not have to be done yearly, but ensure it is done for all new hires by including it in your new-employee packet.
• Get familiar with Alliance participating medical providers, and ensure campuses and departments are aware of the nearest approved providers and emergency rooms. You must also show employees how to find an approved Alliance provider.

*Schools that do not participate in the Fund’s Workers’ Compensation program should consult their workers' compensation provider regarding their network requirements.

More Information

Fund members with Workers' Compensation coverage can reach out to Program Consultant Adriana Talbot for training and guidance on navigating employer responsibilities and statutory requirements. Members also benefit from exclusive access to on-demand compliance training.