Temple University compensates any employee who sustains a work-related injury and/or illness in accordance with the Workers’ Compensation Act. This payment is known as an “indemnity benefit” and is in addition to any medical benefits the injured worker may receive under the law. Indemnity benefits are not payable to an employee for the first seven calendar days, unless the disability equals or exceeds 14 calendar days.

During the first seven calendar days of absence due to a work-related injury or illness, the employee must use any sick days available, including sick bank days. If the work-related absence equals or exceeds 14 calendar days, and payment for the first seven calendar days of disability is made to an injured and/or ill employee under the Workers’ Compensation Act, the employee will be required to reimburse Temple University for those sick days paid to the employee. The sick days will be added back to the employee’s accrued sick leave. Medical payments are made directly to healthcare providers for services rendered with regard to an employee’s work related injury and/or illness.

While collecting workers’ compensation benefits, an employee accrues seniority but does not accrue sick or vacation time. Unless otherwise covered by a collective bargaining agreement, employment will be terminated for those employees who are absent for more than 12 months. The employee will continue to receive workers’ compensation benefits until such benefits are terminated in accordance with Pennsylvania law.

If an employee is covered under Temple University’s health insurance plans (medical, dental and other insurance), coverage will continue for up to six months of any workers’ compensation leave period provided that the employee continues to pay their share of the cost of such coverage. At the end of this period, the employee will receive notice of their right to continue health insurance coverage under COBRA. Employees covered under a union benefit plan should contact their union for information concerning the continuation of health benefits.

When an employee is on workers’ compensation-related leave, Temple University holds open the employee’s position for up to six (6) months (including any period covered by the FMLA). Employees who are medically cleared to return to work after six months of absence should notify the Human Resources Department. The employee will be reinstated to a comparable position if available. If no position is available, the employee will be treated in accordance with Temple University’s reduction-in-force (RIF) policy (Section 16.5) for purposes of determining eligibility for reinstatement.

Temple University requires employees to use Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) for all work-related absences or illnesses that also meet the FMLA criteria. FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of job protection and, to be eligible, employees must have worked at least 12 months and 1,250 hours in the last year.

Employees who meet the criteria for FMLA will be contacted by the Absence Management Department with regard to this program.

Temple University will make every effort to place employees who are released to return to work, with or without medical restrictions, in an open position for which the employee is otherwise qualified. Temple University reserves the right to assign employees with work restrictions to light duty assignments.

As soon as an employee is medically cleared to return to work, with or without restrictions, the employee must present their release to the Absence Management Department. Absence Management will then review appropriate and available open positions throughout Temple University for a period of no less than 30 days and notify the employee in writing of job availability.