What sorts of options for compensation a worker has for an injury or illness they suffered at work can vary depending on what job they have and who they work for. For a great many employees in California, the state’s workers’ compensation system sets up what compensation benefits they are able to receive for workplace injuries/illnesses. If, however, a person is a federal employee, they will generally fall under a different workers’ compensation system. This system was put in place by the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act.
Around three million federal and postal employees fall under the workers’ compensation coverage of FECA. Under FECA, federal workers who are hurt on the job can be entitled to a wide range of different benefits.
Among the compensation benefits that injured federal workers sometimes receive under FECA are:
- Medical expense coverage.
- Rehabilitation services.
- Lost wage compensation.
Also, families of federal employees who died as a result of a workplace injury or illness may be entitled to death benefit payments under FECA.
In the 2012 fiscal year, $3.025 billion in FECA compensation benefits was issued by the Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation. Nearly two-thirds of this was lost wage compensation.
As is the case when it comes to any workers’ compensation system, having a solid understanding of the claims process and the eligibility requirements for benefits can be very important when making a claim for compensation benefits under FECA. Thus, if a federal worker is planning on making a FECA claim in relation to a workplace injury or illness, they may want to have an experienced workers’ comp attorney guide them through the process.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, “Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation (DFEC) – About DFEC,” Accessed March 10, 2015
U.S. Department of Labor, “Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation (DFEC) – What our Program Does,” Accessed March 10, 2015