Workers' Compensation

Workers' Compensation for workplace accidents or illness

All Columbia University employees are covered by the New York State Workers' Compensation Law. Workers' Compensation is insurance that will provide you with cash and/or medical care if you have been injured or become ill as a direct result of your job. Claims for Workers' Compensation may be filed in situations where you just want to report that an incident occurred as well as for those incidents that require a medical leave of absence.

Imporant:  Submit Accident Report

Submit Accident Report

First, if needed, seek medical attention. Second, report the accident to your supervisor. And then fill out the Accident Report form within 24 hours of the incident:

  1. Download and print the Accident Report Form

  2. Complete all sections of the form 

  3. Sign it

  4. Scan and email the form to:


After the Accident Report Form is completed, your Departmental HR Contact will file a claim with the Workers’ Compensation insurance carrier on your behalf. Further review of the incident may be initiated by your supervisor, Department or someone from Environmental Health and Safety.

If you will be absent from work due to your injury, follow the instructions below.

If Absent from Work:

Remember: Seek medical attention if you need immediate help.

You should report the incident to your supervisor, and complete a Accident Report Form for Workers’ Compensation Benefits.

Complete this form within 24 hours of the incident to avoid any delays in the process.

If you will be absent from work, please complete the following steps:

  1. If you will be absent from work due to your injury, ask your Departmental HR contact to provide you with any applicable forms to complete. You will return the forms to CUHR Leave Management Office.
     
  2. You will also need to provide your supervisor and CUHR Leave Management with a doctor’s note to cover your absence. You must keep your supervisor and the Leave Management Officer properly updated on your return-to-work date.

Medical Treatment

If you need medical treatment, you should seek medical attention immediately at a location most convenient to you. Please note that any private physician authorized by the Workers' Compensation Board can be used.

Morningside/Manhattanville
Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Emergency Room 
1111 Amsterdam Avenue 
New York, NY 10025 
(212) 523-4000

CUIMC
Workforce Health and Safety 
1st floor Harkness Pavilion 
Open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
(212) 305-7590.
Note: You must have a Columbia University ID to be seen.

Alternate location
New York Presbyterian Hospital Emergency Room 
630 West 168th Street 
New York, NY 10032 
(212) 305-2500

Lamont
Nyack Hospital 
160 N Midland Ave 
Nyack, NY 10960 
(845) 348-2000

For All Employees

If you are eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), FMLA will run concurrently with Workers’ Compensation

Officer of Administration

Full-Time Officers of Administration, including those in an Eleven-Month Program: eligible for a paid medical leave for up to six months (salary continuation) during any rolling 12-month period when extended absence is caused by a work related accident or illness. Workers’ Compensation will run concurrently.

Officers of Instruction, Research and Libraries

See the Faculty Handbook

All Other Officers of Administration, including Nine-Month, Ten-Month Part-Time Officers of Administration, and Non-Union Support Staff

You may be eligible for partial payment by Workers' Compensation, as determined by New York State law based on Workers' Compensation guidelines.

Union Support Staff

Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), paid leave may be available. Employee’s eligible for paid leave by the University will remit any payments received by Workers’ Compensation to the University. The CBA should be consulted for more information.

When receiving treatment for a workplace injury, you will not need to pay the doctor or hospital and your private insurance should not be billed. If any charges are incurred, you should save all receipts and mail them to our insurer, PMA, for processing. Employees working out of state should contact the CUHR Leave Management Office.
 

PMA Customer Service Center
P.O. Box 5231 Janesville, WI 53547-5231
Telephone: (888) 476-2669
Fax: 800-432-9762
Email: [email protected]

Prior to returning to work, submit medical certification from your physician (doctor's note) to the CUHR Leave Management Office and appropriate carrier (PMA for Workers' Compensation or Cigna for NYSDBL).  Please also reach out to your Departmental HR contact to provide an update on your return to work. 

Workplace Accommodation

If you require a workplace accommodationcontact the CUHR Leave Management Office to coordinate with you and your department prior to your return to work.

Important Notice

Important Notices

The Leaves of Absence section is intended only to provide information and guidance for processing leaves for Columbia University Officers, staff and union employees. The writers of the content have exercised their best efforts to ensure accuracy of the information, but accuracy is not guaranteed. If there are any discrepancies between the information on the website, verbal representations and the Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) or applicable University policies, the CBAs and applicable policies will always govern. The information is subject to change from time to time. The information contained on the website is intended to provide examples and does not replace the CBAs or University policies.

In addition to FMLA, other University policies and laws, if eligible, will run concurrently, including NY Safe and Sick Leave and all applicable State/City/County Laws.

FMLA does not supersede any University policy or collective bargaining agreement that provides greater family or medical leave rights than the rights established under FMLA. Conversely, FMLA provides that the rights established for employees under FMLA cannot be diminished by any policy or agreement.

The leave granted under FMLA generally is a lesser benefit than that available under various University policies and collective bargaining agreements. Because the University meets or exceeds FMLA requirements in many respects, this policy designates many existing types of leave as FMLA leave, so that the University leaves and the FMLA leave run concurrently.