HR: Temporary Disability

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Please see response attached, which is also provided below. Also see extra facts below, which are not included in the attached response. I hope this helps and take care.

RESPONSE;

1. What laws apply to temporary disability at the workplace?

- Workman's compensation:

I did an Internet search using the Google search engine using the search words "temporary disability" and received thousand's of hits, but many sites were not very useful. However, the following site: http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/workcomp/index.htm provided information about employment laws.

It seems that the laws that apply to temporary disability are regarding "Workman's compensation."

See information in the fact sheet at the end of this response below, also available on-line at URL: http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/site/sfdhr_page.asp?id=50535.

2. Under what general circumstances is the employee entitled to benefits?

The Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) administers four major disability compensation programs, which provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation, and other benefits to federal workers or their dependents who are injured at work or acquire an occupational disease.

Acquired Occupational Disease (permanent)

The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, the Federal Employees' Compensation Program, the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Program, and the Black Lung Benefits Program serve the specific employee groups who are covered under the relevant statutes and regulations by mitigating the financial burden resulting from workplace injury. Individuals injured on the job while employed by private companies or state and local government agencies should contact their state workers' compensation board.

However, before an employee received benefits, the injury or acquired occupational disease must be supported by a doctor's complicated evaluation process, see at http://www.aafp.org/afp/20011101/1579.html), and once the report is files and accepted, they can then receive workman's compensation until the doctor reports that they are ready to go back to work. However, different states have different time limits (see http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/workcomp/index.htm).

See information specific To temporary disabilities in the fact sheet below.

3. What are those benefits and who administers them?

As mentioned above, there are four major disability compensation programs, which provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational ...