The period right after an injury can be physically challenging, making it hard for you to return to your federal job in the shortest time possible. Because of this, the Office of the Workers Compensation Program came up with a program to help you receive taxable benefits that can tide you over when it comes to your bills, be they medical or personal for a certain amount of time.
Continuation of Pay is usually given out to injured federal workers for up to 45 days after an injury. However, for one to qualify, there are certain conditions that must be met. To begin with, the injury must have occurred within work hours and in the line of duty.
Here are additional conditions that have to be met for Continuation of Pay (COP)
- You are required to have filed an injury form within 30 days of suffering your injuries. This is typically known as the CA-1 form, and it is available online.
- You also need to prove that your injury is indeed traumatic and happened while carrying out official work duties. This is where a doctor’s report is vital as it may make or break your case. Choose one that has worked on federal workers’ compensation cases in the past.
- You must begin losing time off work due to your injuries within the 45-day window from the start of your incident.
Continuation of Pay Due Diligence
As a rule of thumb, you should provide your employer with a written note explaining why you are unable to go back to work within 10 days of submitting a COP claim to the OWCP. In addition, it is always a good idea to ask your physician to specify what your physical limitations are in your report so that your employer knows well ahead what to give you with regard to work duties upon your return so as not to worsen your injuries. On top of that, continuation of pay doesn’t have to follow consecutive days. That is to say, you can take breaks due to the worsening of your injuries and still be eligible for COP according to the law.
Legal Help For Federal Workers’ Compensation
Federal workers’ compensation is a complicated affair. In addition, there’s always a chance that OWCP may deny your claim. To this end, it’s important to work with an experienced federal workers’ compensation attorney so you can get the compensation you need. If you have any COP concerns, please give us a call on 1-877-561-3004 for your free and confidential consultation.
