(revised July 1998)
The United States Government operates a system of contributory insurance known as FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) which has two parts: Social Security and Medicare. As a wage earner, you are required by law to contribute a set amount of your wages to the trust fund from which these benefits are paid. As your employer, Kenyon College is required to deduct this amount (set annually by the U.S. Government) from each paycheck you receive. In addition, Kenyon matches your contribution dollar for dollar, thereby paying one-half of the cost of your Social Security and Medicare benefits.
(revised July 1998, April 2013)
The State of Ohio Workers' Compensation Law is an insurance plan which is supervised by the state and one hundred percent (100%) paid for by Kenyon College as a self-funded employer. This law was designed to provide you with benefits for any injury which you may suffer in connection with your employment. Under the provisions of the law, if you are injured while at work, you are eligible to apply for Workers' Compensation.
Before Workers' Compensation, an injured worker had to sue his employer to recover medical costs and lost wages. Lawsuits took months and sometimes years. Juries and judges had to decide who was at fault and how much, if anything, would be paid. In most cases, the injured worker got nothing. It was a costly, time-consuming and unfair system. Ohio's Workers' Compensation law was passed by the State legislature in the early part of this century to guarantee prompt, automatic benefits to workers injured on the job.
Effective March 1, 1997, the medical management responsibilities of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) changed to private sector run Managed Care Organizations (MCO's). This change was mandated for all Ohio employers with the enactment of House bill 107. Kenyon College uses third-party administrator Sedgwick, Inc. to provide medical management services to our injured workers.
Every Kenyon College employee is protected by Workers' Compensation.
Any injury is covered if it's caused by your job - not just serious accidents, but even first-aid type injuries. Illnesses may also be covered, if they're related to your job. For example, common colds and flu are not covered, but if you caught tuberculosis while working at a TB hospital, that's covered. The main requirement is that the injury or illness be the result of you performing your job.
Coverage begins the first minute you're on the job and continues anytime you're working for Kenyon College. You don't have to work a certain length of time, and there's no need to earn any minimum amount of wages before you're protected.
A work-related injury or illness can upset your life. Suddenly, you may find your health, your work and your enjoyment of leisure activities threatened. You may be confused about how and where to get the attention you need to get back on your feet. You may be concerned about the hassles and red tape you have to go through. Relax. To help you through this difficult time, your employer has formed a team to assist you in your recovery. The team includes:
Sedgwick is ready to help you, the most important member of the team, get well so you can get back to work. We'll stand by you throughout the entire workers' compensation process, helping make sure you have access to the quality care you deserve. When you become sick or injured on the job, Sedgwick is ready to assist you in getting the care you need.
Follow these five steps to help ensure you get the treatment and benefits due you.