# Workers' Compensation ## expand\_more Harvard provides state-mandated Workers’ Compensation insurance that pays benefits when a work-related injury or illness prevents an employee from performing their job. [More information regarding Workers' Compensation can be found on HARVie](https://harvie.harvard.edu/staff-personnel-manual/time-away-work/work-related-injuries-workers-compensation). Open all sections Close all sections ### When an Employee Is Injured at Work expand\_more - Immediately call 911 for emergency medical assistance if urgent medical care is needed for a workplace accident, injury, or illness. - For incidents that do not require emergency medical assistance, please encourage the employee to seek medical treatment immediately, as it could impact their eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits. - Harvard personnel must immediately report all workplace accidents, injuries, and illnesses to their supervisor/manager. - Supervisors and Managers are responsible for contacting our Workers’ Compensation vendor, Lodestar, within 24 hours of the incident to file a report. ### Reporting a Workers’ Compensation Event expand\_more Immediately upon notice of a work related accident, injury, or illness, the supervisor/manager should submit an incident form online at [Workers' Compensation Claim Filing](https://login.harvard.edu/home/bookmark/0oa203ly4y7fnNGAN1d8/2557) (Harvard Key required) Please be sure to also contact the Leaves Office at to advise of the incident and to confirm that it has been reported to Lodestar. ### Information to Share with Your Employee expand\_more Please notify the employee of the following: - Remind the employee to seek medical treatment as soon as possible so that there is no impact to potential workers’ compensation benefits. - Remind the employee to let the medical facility know that they were injured at work and provide Lodestar’s contact information for billing purposes: Lodestar PO Box 4314 Clinton, IA 52733-4301 Phone: 1‐866-886-6305 Fax: 1‐877-374-0936 - They will receive an Acknowledgement letter from Lodestar regarding the claim. - They will also receive a call from their assigned Claims Adjuster at Lodestar to discuss the claim. - Advise that the Leaves Office has been contacted about the incident and that they will be in touch if the employee misses more than three consecutive days from work due to their work related injury or illness. Please refer the employee to Lodestar for an explanation of benefits and to answer any questions that they may have about the claim. Report the incident to EH&S in the event of inpatient hospitalization. Refer to the [Workers’ Compensation Overview](https://harvie.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum12046/files/2026-04/Workers-Compensation-Overview_0.pdf) for more information. It is important to be mindful of your employee’s personal challenges and feelings, and to communicate with them with sensitivity and compassion. Your kindness throughout these encounters can lead to greater employee loyalty, morale, and retention that may extend to the affected employee’s co-workers as well. ### Overlap with Medical Leave expand\_more If the employee misses more than three consecutive days from work, Lodestar will notify our leaves administrator, Lincoln Financial, and a medical leave will be initiated. Lincoln Financial will determine eligibility and the employee may be covered under Short Term Disability (STD), Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (MAPFML), and FMLA. The Leaves Office will send information about medical leave directly to the employee once the leave has been created by Lincoln Financial. The Leaves Office will notify the employee and will copy the supervisor/manager, department administrator, and HR Consultant when Lincoln Financial makes any changes to the status of the leave, such as an approval or extension of benefits. The employee will need to submit a return to work form to the Leaves Office at the end of their leave so that they can be cleared to return to work. Additional information will be provided to the employee and also to the manager once the leave is approved. Managers should be sure to send any Return to Work notes or medical information received to the Leaves Office at . Please note that **medical documentation should not be kept in the employee’s personnel file.**