Workers’ Compensation Leave
Hobbs Municipal School District does not designate a health care provider in the event of a work related injury. If medical attention is necessary, please contact the Employee Benefits Office at 433-0141, or if it is an emergency go directly to the Emergency Room.
All Worker’s Compensation claims, physician visits, prescriptions, procedures, treatments and tests must have prior approval from the Employee Benefits Office (433-0141). If you are off work due to a work related injury, you must communicate with the Employee Benefits Office following all physician visits and provide copies of all patient status reports, work restrictions and/or work releases to your supervisor and the Employee Benefits Office.
Employees absent due to on-the-job injuries may choose to receive their full monthly school salary and will have accumulated sick leave days charged against them (one day for each workday absence). Or employees may choose to receive only the monthly remuneration paid by the workers’ compensation insurance equal to 66 2/3% of salary or a maximum of $733.16 per week without reduction of accumulated sick leave days.
• If your employer furnishes a safety device and you fail to use it, you could lose part of the indemnity pay.
• If you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of an injury, or cause an accident on purpose, you could lose all the benefits, both medical and indemnity pay.
• You cannot be paid off in a single big check while you are still out of work. The insurance company is not allowed to pay off your claim until you have been back to work for six months and other requirements are met.
• Indemnity pay is only for a certain period of time. The time period for indemnity payment is 1 year and 31 days if the employee is still employed by the district, or 2 years and 31 days if they are no longer with the school district. This time period is continuous from the time of the accident. However, you should plan to go back to work as soon as possible.