(a) All City of Carmel employees are covered by the provisions of the state's worker's compensation laws. Civilian employees are eligible for medical and income replacement benefits. Sworn police officers and firefighters are eligible for medical benefits only. Sections (b) through (e) below apply to income replacement benefits.
(b) For a full-time employee who must be off work more than seven calendar days but fewer than 43 calendar days due to a compensable illness or injury, the City will pay the difference between the employee's gross weekly worker's compensation benefit and his or her normal gross weekly wages from the City. Benefits will be paid bi-weekly. Supplemental payments will continue after 42 calendar days only if approved on a case-by-case basis by the Board of Public Works and Safety. All payments shall cease when the employee returns to full-time work, when the worker's compensation carrier offers settlement for a permanent partial impairment or a permanent total disability or when the employment relationship with the City is terminated by either party.
(c) All applicable taxes shall be withheld from each supplemental check issued by the City. The employee may elect to continue or discontinue voluntary payroll deductions for the duration of the leave. However, employee insurance premiums must be made on or before the due date, regardless of how payment is made, in order for coverage to be continuous. Garnishments, child support and other court-ordered payments shall be deducted to the extent that funds are available. It is the employee's responsibility to make all court-ordered payments that cannot be deducted in full from the employee's supplemental check.
(d) Worker's compensation benefits are not paid for the first seven calendar days ("week") of a leave unless the leave extends beyond 21 days. If worker's compensation benefits are paid for the first week and the employee was already paid by the City for that same time period, the employee shall sign over the worker's compensation benefit check for that week to the City, or reimburse an equivalent amount to the City. When the City receives payment from the employee, all paid time off used by the employee during the first week of leave shall be credited back to the employee. If the employee fails to reimburse the City as required herein, the City reserves the right to recover through payroll deduction the amount of the worker's compensation benefit paid for the first week of leave.
(e) An employee receiving worker's compensation income replacement benefits shall be deemed on paid leave for purposes of accruing PTO.
(`91 Code, § 2-52) (Ord. D-398, § (o), 3-5-84; Ord. D-1703-04, § 2, 7-19-04; Ord. D-1900-08, 8-4-08; Ord. D-1975-09, 12-7-09; Ord. D-2067-11, 11-7-11)