Who is eligible?

All full-time, part-time and temporary Elon University employees, including student employees, are covered by the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act.

What do I do if I get hurt at work?

  • In the case of a life-threatening emergency, immediately contact 911 or Campus Safety & Police at 336-278-5555 to dispatch emergency services.
  • in the case of a non-life threatening emergency, notify a supervisor or manager immediately. The supervisor or manager will assess the situation, help arrange for proper medical care and begin the injury reporting process. It is important to report a work-related injury, accident or illness immediately, no matter how insignificant the incident may seem, as oftentimes those that get overlooked turn into larger medical problems.

Do I get paid if I’ve been injured?

The responsibility for claiming compensation is upon the injured employee. North Carolina law requires reporting of on-the-job injuries within five (5) days after knowledge of an injury. Elon requires the accident to be reported within 48 hours in order for processing to be completed in a timely manner. The injured employee must complete the Accident Report Form and submit it to the case manager.

There will be no compensation during the first seven (7) days of illness or injury absence due to a job related incident unless:

  • An employee has unused sick leave and wishes to use this sick leave these seven (7) days; or
  • An employee has no sick leave and wishes to use earned vacation during these seven (7) days (sick leave must be used before vacation).
  • Employees cannot use vacation or sick time if they plan to be out 21 days or more.

Workers’ compensation begins on the eighth (8) day and compensation is based on 2/3 of an eligible employee’s regular salary.

If an employee uses vacation or sick time for the first seven (7) days and is out more than 21 days, the employee will have to pay those monies back to Elon and their vacation/sick hours will be reinstated to their account.

What are the supervisor responsibilities?

The first responsibility of the supervisor is to direct the employee to the appropriate medical care. Employees should be directed to the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic for non-life threatening emergencies.  Alamance Regional Medical Center should only be used for extreme injuries and for after-hours treatment that cannot wait until the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic opens.

It is also the supervisor’s responsibility to assess the incident and assist the employee in seeking proper medical care or necessary treatment for any work-related injury. Supervisors should maintain open lines of communication both with the employee as well as Employee Relations, particularly if light duty restrictions apply or the incident resulted in lost time from work.

The injured employee’s transition back to work is managed by several departments, including the supervisor, physician, Case Manager and Employee Relations. Flexibility in providing light or modified duties as recommended by the treating physician will support a smooth return to full time job duties for the employee. The employee must receive approval from the supervisor, Case Manager and Employee Relations prior to returning to duty if work restrictions are provided by the physician.

Who provides medical treatment?

For non-life threatening emergencies, employees must visit the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic. Employees with significant injuries will then be referred to the appropriate medical facility. Employees with life-threatening emergencies should proceed directly to Alamance Regional Medical Center.

Authorized Medical Facilities

  • Non-Life Threatening
    Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic
    R.N. Ellington Center for Health & Wellness
    301 South O’Kelly Avenue
    Elon, NC 27244
    (336) 278-5569
    Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm (Closed from 12:00-1:00pm)
  • Urgent/Emergent Care
    Cone Health Alamance Regional Medical Center
    1240 Huffman Mill Road
    Burlington, NC 27215
    (336) 538-7000
    Emergency Room open 24 hours
  • Orthopedic (referral only)
    EmergeOrtho- Burlington
    1111 Huffman Mill Road
    Burlington, NC 27215
    (336) 584-5544
    Urgent Care Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00am-7:30pm

How do I schedule a doctor’s appointment?

Employees should call the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic for non-life threatening injuries at 336-278-5569.

What if I can’t return to work right away?

An employee may choose to use sick or vacation leave, or go on leave without pay during the 7-calendar-day waiting period. The law provides medical and disability compensation including a weekly benefit for lost workdays after a 7-calendar-day waiting period. A weekly benefit equal to 2/3 of the employee’s average weekly earnings up to a maximum established by the North Carolina Industrial Commission is payable to the employee. Compensation begins on the eighth calendar day of lost work time and if the lost time goes beyond 21 calendar days, the employee is entitled to receive compensation for the first 7 calendar days.

The weekly benefit may be supplemented by using sick or vacation leave, earned prior to the injury. If the doctor states the employee should not return to normal work duties, the statement must be reflected on the medical documentation. If an employee does not return as scheduled, the absence is considered unauthorized unless prior to the absence the employee provides the supervisor with a written updated medical status from the authorized treating physician allowing the time off.

Occasionally, a doctor will order work restrictions. In this case, a supervisor should make every effort to reasonably accommodate the limitations and the employee should comply with the doctor’s recommendations. The employee must receive approval from the supervisor, Case Manager and Employee Relations prior to returning to duty.

Note: Employees are obligated to accept any suitable employment provided it is within capabilities. Refusal to accept suitable employment may result in termination of compensation and may result in dismissal.

Who manages workers’ compensation claims?

The Case Manager works with the university’s insurer to process workers’ compensation claims. The Case Manager, physician, Human Resources or other agent of the university is not responsible for determining the outcome of a claim. Approval or denial of a claim is dependent on the insurer’s investigation based on information provided. If a claim is denied, the employee will be notified as soon as possible, pending receipt of medical documentation, if necessary.