Workers' Compensation

The University provides workers’ compensation benefits to faculty, staff and student workers who are injured on the job.

Faculty member smiling at a university event.

What to do if you are injured on the job

Workers’ compensation provides payment for medical care and loss of time from work when employees, including reemployed retirees and student workers, experience a job-related illness or injury. 

Step 1: Seek Medical Attention

For minor injuries, visit the Employee Health Center. For serious injuries, visit the Baptist Memorial Hospital Emergency Room

If an ambulance is called and must come on campus, University Police must be contacted. 

Step 2: Inform Your Supervisor

If you are injured while on the job, you must notify your department or their delegate head as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after the injury or illness occurs.

Your department head or their delegate must then complete the First Report of Injury or Illness Form. 

First Report of Injury Form

 

Step 3: Fill Out Your Workers’ Compensation Injury Report Packet

The completed Employee Claimant Packet must be completed and submitted to your department head or their delegate within 48 hours of your injury or as soon as possible.

The Employee Claimant Packet includes:

  • Statement of the Claimant: This form is for the injured employee to describe how the injury occurred, what part(s) of the body was affected and to share information on medical treatment. 
  • Medicare Eligibility: Information about your eligibility/participation in Medicare.
  • Authorization for Release of Health Information: This form authorizes the release of medical information to the University workers’ compensation administrator. 
  • Notice of Physician Choice: Acknowledgement of service with a medical care provider.

The employee’s department head or their delegate will send the First Report of Injury or Illness Form, as well as the Employee Claimant Packet to Human Resources within 48 hours of the accident. 

Human Resources will submit the forms to the University workers’ compensation insurance carrier and their office will forward information to the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. 

Employees will receive verbal and written correspondence from the Department of Human Resources defining the policy and process.

Employee Claimant Packet

Guidelines for supervisors

If one of your employees is injured on the job, here is what you need to know:

As the department head, you or your delegate must complete the First Report of Injury or Illness Form. Under no circumstances should an injured employee complete this form.

You must then submit the First Report of Injury or Illness Form, along with the Employee Claimant Packet to Human Resources within 48 hours of the accident or as soon as possible. 

Forms will be accepted via the following methods:

  • Email to hrbenefits@olemiss.edu (Please leave the social security field blank when emailing to ensure the security of personal information. The benefits team can add this information.)
  • Fax to (662) 915-5836
  • Drop off at the Human Resources office

Frequently asked questions about workers’ compensation

Answers to some of the common questions.

As mandated by Senate Bill 2977, effective July 1, 2008, an employee’s total compensation, as a combination of paid leave and indemnity payments, cannot exceed 100% of regular compensation. 

Human Resources is responsible for calculating the maximum compensation an employee is eligible to receive for paid leave and to notify the employee’s department head or delegate of the process for submitting leave each pay period.

Employees and student workers’ who suffer a work-related injury that requires treatment at the hospital emergency room will be required to submit to drug and alcohol testing.

Should it be determined that the illegal use of drugs, the use of a valid prescription medication(s) taken contrary to the prescriber’s instructions and/or contrary to label warnings, or impairment due to the use of alcohol or medical marijuana of the employee was the proximate cause of the injury, or if it was the willful intention of the employee to injure or kill himself or another, then compensation is not payable.

The University authorizes initial treatment for workers’ compensation injuries at two locations in Oxford. For minor injuries, the employee or student worker shall be escorted to Employee Health Center. For serious injuries, visit the Baptist Memorial Hospital Emergency Room.

If an ambulance is called and must come on campus, University Police must be contacted. 

Should the injured employee or student worker elect to receive initial medical treatment from an unauthorized medical care provider or facility, they must complete the Choice of Physician form, which is available from Human Resources.

In the event that total compensation as a sum of paid leave and indemnity payments exceed regular wages, the employee is expected to return the excess amount.

Contact the HR Benefits Team

If you have a question or need help with the workers' compensation forms, please contact the HR Benefits team. Our team will get back to you as quickly as possible!

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