Workers' Compensation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

UW classified, professional, temporary or volunteer staff, as well as faculty, who are on-shift (full- or part-time) are eligible for State Fund workers’ compensation coverage. Residents and student workers being paid through payroll are also covered. Go to the emergency room or health care provider of your choice and tell them you were injured at work. They will assist you in filing a workers' compensation claim. You may want to consider seeking treatment with an occupational medicine provider. They have experience in dealing with L&I and the paperwork involved with a claim. You can also file a claim form online at http://www.lni.wa.gov/ORLI/ECS/FileFast.asp or by phone at 1-877-561-FILE (3453).

Claim forms should be handled carefully because they contain confidential medical information. Please forward any claim forms to Claim Services, UW Campus Box 354964, or fax to 206-543-7310 to be completed.

Call UW Claim Services at (206) 543-0183. We’ll check with L&I to make sure they have received your claim and that your physician has submitted the information necessary to pay you for the time you are unable to perform your job.

In the event of an emergency, be sure everyone is safely evacuated from the area. Then, report the incident to the UW Police at 911 and the UW Environment Health & Safety (EH&S) Department at (206) 543-7388. If there is property damage, contact Claims Services at (206) 543-3657 .

Contact your Claims Specialist at workcomp@uw.edu about your release to return to work. If your department is able to temporarily modify your duties while you recover, you will be allowed to return to work with restrictions for a specified amount of time. If your department is unable to modify your work or offer you a temporary transitional /alternative position, you may be eligible for continued time loss benefits from L&I.

You can locate the name and phone number of your L&I claim manager on the lower portion of any correspondence you receive from the Department of Labor & Industries. You may also call 1-800-LISTENS to reach the L&I Claim Information Line.

L&I does not compensate workers for time missed due to doctor appointments, physical therapy, or other medical appointments. You must use your own accrued leave time to cover these absences. If possible, schedule these appointments at either end of the day or during your lunch break to minimize the amount of leave time you use.

As with all health and safety issues at the University, responsibility and accountability for assuring the employees' workplace meets regulatory requirements rests with each Vice Chancellor, Dean, Director, Chair and Supervisor. As noted in the University Policy Directory, everyone with supervisory responsibility is expected to directly participate in assuring that safe working conditions are maintained. The University Health and Safety Committees are also initiating ergonomics awareness at the organizational unit level. EH&S can provide guidance to individuals and organizational units on how they can begin to address their ergonomics issues. EH&S provides ergonomic awareness training, training focused on back protection, and limited technical assistance and consultation regarding ergonomic issues. For further information, contact EH&S at (206) 543-7262 or visit the Environmental Health and Safety website.

If your health care provider indicates that you are permanently unable to perform the essential functions of your job, but you are released to work at least 50% time and are medically stable, the University will attempt to identify an open alternative position in which to place you. This is called the Alternative Job Search (AJS) process.

The Disability Services Office and Human Resources work together to identify alternative positions in which to place employees. The search identifies open and available positions for which you meet the minimum qualifications. A university-wide search will be conducted with the goal of identifying a non-competitive job in which to place you.

A thorough assessment of the job is conducted in order to understand what the essential functions are and what assistive devices and/or equipment may enable the employee to perform all of the job tasks. If reasonable accommodations cannot be made, the job will not be considered a placement option.