Workers Compensation

Encova (formerly BrickStreet) insurance provides Workers Compensation coverage for Shepherd University. West Virginia law requires employees to immediately notify their employer upon sustaining a workplace injury.

1. When an accident occurs, employees must complete an Accident/Incident Report form immediately. The form is available here.
2. The Accident/Incident Report form should be completed online and emailed via the link provided at the bottom of the form. The employee or supervisor must notify the HR Office immediately if medical attention is sought. The employee does not need to visit the HR Office personally to report the accident.
3. As soon as the HR Office learns that an employee is seeking medical treatment for an injury, the HR Office will report the injury to Encova. Encova will give the HR Office a claim number for the employee. The HR Office will email the claim number along with a Sick Leave Benefits Election of Option Form and a Return to Work Notice.
4. At the time of treatment, the employee and physician must complete Form WC-1, Employee’s and Physician’s Report of Injury. The physician is responsible for submitting Form WC-1 to Encova. The employee is responsible for ensuring that the HR Office receives a copy of the form.
5. At the time the claim is filed, the employee must decide whether to use sick leave (Institution Pay) or Workers Compensation (Workers Comp Pay). The employee will complete the Election of Option Form and submit it to the HR Office. Annual leave also could be used if the employee does not have enough sick leave to cover their time off. If the employee chooses to be paid by Workers Comp, they will receive about 66% of their daily wage.
6. If employees choose to receive Workers Comp pay rather than using their sick or annual leave, then they will go off the University’s payroll. When the employee goes off the University’s payroll due to a Workers Comp claim, it will not count against their service credit. However, the employee will be responsible for paying their health insurance premiums and they must arrange with the Payroll Office for this to occur.
7. If an employee chooses to receive Workers Comp pay and go off the University payroll, then the employee’s supervisor needs to perform the appropriate action using PeopleAdmin, the online HR System, in order to temporarily remove the employee from the payroll.
8. The injured employee is not charged for the first three days of absence following the injury. If the injury prevents the employee from working for more than three days, then whichever pay option they have chosen (using their sick or annual leave or receiving Workers Comp pay) will go into effect.
9. When the injured employee is ready to return to work, s/he must submit to the HR Office a Return to Work Notice.

Those with questions about filing Workers Comp claims at Shepherd University should contact the HR Office at 304-876-5299.