Employee and Retiree Service Center → Employees → Leave information → Worker's Compensation Leave
Workers' compensation is the largest and oldest of the government insurance programs. Workers' compensation offers medical coverage, as well as lost wages protection to employees for accidental injuries arising out of, and in the course of, employment. The law provides for up to two-thirds of an employee’s average weekly wage, not to exceed 100 percent of the state average weekly wage. The compensation is paid to an employee once a claim for work-related injuries has been submitted and accepted. Learn more.
At MCPS, permanent employees who choose to use an in-network physician for medical care will receive workers’ compensation leave at 100 percent of their average weekly net wages for up to one year. If a permanent employee elects to be treated by a physician who is outside of the network of preferred providers, the employee will receive the state average weekly wage as calculated by the MCPS claims administrator. The employee may choose to supplement that amount with their own leave (subject to availability).
Temporary employees and substitute teachers are not eligible for 100 percent of their average weekly net wages. These employees will receive the state average weekly wage as calculated by the MCPS claims administrator regardless of the physician they choose.
When any MCPS employee is injured at work, the employee must inform his or her supervisor, who then contacts CorVel Corporation, the MCPS claims administrator.
Once CorVel Corporation receives information about the injury, they will mail you a Notice of Employee's Claim form for you to complete and return. A claims adjuster at CorVel Corporation will then review the incident and determine compensability or eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits. Once the claim is determined compensable, CorVel Corporation and the ERSC Leave Administration team will work with the employee to ensure benefit continuation until the employee is able to return to work.
If you have been injured and filed a claim, and you would like to access the names and/or addresses of in-network doctors and/or urgent care centers, please visit the Montgomery County Government Self-Insurance Program (MCSIP) (workers' compensation, liability and property programs) website.
Additional Information for Permanent Employees
If a permanent employee will need time away from work, the employee will be required to submit two forms, MCPS Form 430-1, Leave Request along with MCPS Form 440-35, Certification of Physician or Health Care Provider, to their supervisor.
When completing the Leave Request form, the “From” and “To” dates sections must be completed. The initial “From” date will be the first date of lost time; and the “To” date will be the date the employee is medically cleared to return to work, or the date of the next physical evaluation by the permanent employee’s treating doctor, if the return to work date is unknown.
The permanent employee must continue submitting Leave Request and Certification of Physician or Health Care Provider forms until he/she is cleared to return to work. In addition, the employee must to keep all scheduled medical appointments. Failure to do so may hold up processing of the employee’s workers’ compensation benefits.
It is the goal of MCPS and CorVel Corporation to return the employee to work. Prior to returning to work, permanent employees must have the physician complete either MCPS Form 440-40M, Return to Work Evaluation: MCEA Employees or MCPS Form 440-40S, Return to Work Evaluation: SEIU Employees, ensuring that the employee is able to resume his/her position with MCPS.
The determination of when an employee is able to return to work may take an unpredictable length of time, based primarily upon the extent of the employee’s injuries, and the requirements of their position with MCPS.