Workers' Compensation

The goal of the Workers’ Compensation System is to ensure that employees receive good health care and are restored as nearly as possible to the health and ability to work that was present prior to the injury. Following these instructions will ensure that an injury is properly reported, appropriate health care is received quickly, and workers’ compensation medical benefits are initiated.

What happens when you get hurt at work?

See this workflow diagram.

• If an employee gets hurt while on the job, the employee should notify his or her supervisor/principal as soon as possible (within 24 hours). The school bookkeeper will provide forms to complete and return.
• Employees with life-threatening injuries should be transported to the nearest hospital emergency room. At no time should an employee seek treatment by a local hospital emergency room for a non-life-threatening injury unless the employee is directed to do so by Urgent Care or by the workers' compensation administrator. Persons opting to self-direct their own medical care and refuse to adhere to Jackson County Schools workers' compensation procedures assume personal financial responsibility for all unauthorized medical services and for any work-related injury.
• If you need medical assistance for a non-life-threatening injury, all employees may decide whether to go to Harris Urgent Care in Sylva or Smoky Mountain Urgent Care in Bryson City. Employees will not be seen at Urgent Care without the required paperwork from the worker’s compensation administrator. Work status paperwork received at Urgent Care must be sent to the bookkeeper or worker’s compensation administrator immediately after receiving medical assistance.
• Physician/pharmacy forms will be given to the employee by the worker’s compensation administrator prior to receiving medical assistance at Urgent Care.
• DO NOT GO TO YOUR OWN DOCTOR. If an employee goes to his or her own primary care physician or specialist, they assume responsibility for any services they receive, and they will not be covered by workers' compensation.
• A worker’s compensation adjuster will be assigned to your claim. The adjuster will contact you and investigate your claim to approve or deny.
• An Urgent Care physician may refer you to a specialist (IF NEEDED). The worker’s compensation adjuster will contact you prior to seeing a specialist. DO NOT MAKE YOUR OWN APPOINTMENT.
• If an Urgent Care physician takes an employee out of work, it is the employee’s responsibility to contact his or her supervisor/principal about absences and work status. The employee will be required to use his or her own leave for the first seven (7) days. If the employee is approved and out of work for more than 21 days, workers' compensation will pay for the first seven (7) days. The employee will be paid 66 2/3 percent of his or her salary by workers' compensation while out of work. If the employee has leave available, Jackson County Schools will pay 1/3 of the employee’s salary. Once the employee’s leave is exhausted, the employee will only receive the 66 2/3 percent from worker’s compensation. NO HOLIDAY PAY IS AVAILABLE WHILE EMPLOYEES ARE OUT OF WORK. FLMA is available to employees who are out of work for an extended period of time. Worker’s compensation will pay the employee for the entire day on the day of the injury only; all other appointments (follow-up, etc.) are on the employee’s time, and leave must be taken if the employee’s time is short for that week.
• If an Urgent Care physician puts an employee on modified duty (job restriction), the employee should contact his or her supervisor/principal. Jackson County Schools will provide modified duty until the employee is released to return to full duty.
• If an employee is injured after business hours, M-F 8:00am-4:30pm, the employee is required to contact his or her supervisor/principal prior to seeking medical assistance. The supervisor/principal must determine if the employee needs immediate medical attention or if the employee can be seen at Urgent Care on the next business day. The supervisor/principal will contact the workers' compensation administrator on the next business day.
• Workers' Compensation Forms:
  • Form 19, REQUIRED FOR ALL CLAIMS (supervisor/principal signs and submits as soon as possible)
  • Form 18 (employee may complete and submit to industrial commission on their own)
  • Incident Investigation Form

If you have questions, please contact Janet Bottoms at (828) 586-2311 ext. 1934.