Three different programs may impact an employee’s payment of wages and benefits.  These are:

·         Workers Compensation

·         Family Medical Leave Act

·         Long Term Disability

Workers Compensation

Workers compensation benefits provide employees with a percentage of their normal wages while on approved medical leave.  If approved for workers compensation, employees may elect to supplement their worker compensation benefits with their own vacation or sick leave in order to continue receiving full wages.  However, employees can elect not to supplement the workers compensation benefit and go on medical leave without pay.  Employees choosing medical leave without no supplemental pay receive no payment from the university.

State workers' compensation law requires ISU to continue paying the university’s portion of an employee’s medical and dental insurance for 4 months (16 weeks) after being placed on medical leave without pay.

Family Medical Leave Act

The Family Medical Leave Act requires ISU to continue paying the university’s portion of an employee’s medical and dental insurance for 3 months (12) weeks following the notification of a serious health condition.  See definition of serious health condition.

Long Term Disability

Long term disability status may be approved by after 90 days of continuous sickness or accident disability or the expiration of accrued sick leave, whichever is later. 

Coordination of Benefits

It is important for departments to notify employees with workers compensation injuries that qualify as a serious health condition of their FMLA rights.  In some cases, an employee’s benefits under FMLA may be exhausted before the benefits required by the State.

Employees do not have to wait until all vacation and sick leave has been exhausted to apply for long term disability.  Departments can assist employees with this process by either notifying the Office of Human Resources/Benefits directly when an employee has been on any medical leave for one month or processing a Form 111 to communicate this information.  This action will allow the Office of Human Resources/Benefits to provide the employee with an application for long term disability in a timely manner.