(a) When a workplace injury or illness occurs, the employee and his/her supervisor shall complete an Accident/Incident Report which shall be forwarded to the Chief of Police within 24 hours of the incident. Failure to do so may result in a delay of benefits.
(b) An injured worker shall not be paid any Injury Pay until the Workers Compensation claim has been fully 'allowed' by the Bureau of Workers Compensation and by the City. Prior to such approvals, the employee may use Sick Leave for days absent due to the injury. After a claim is 'allowed', Injury Leave will replace Sick Leave for that incident.
(c) When an employee is injured in the line of duty while actually working for the City, the employee shall be eligible for a paid leave not to exceed ninety working days providing the claim is' allowed' by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the employee signs a waiver assigning to the City the temporary total benefits which the employee would ordinarily receive as their workers compensation' as determined by law, for those number of days the employee receives benefits under this section.
(d) The City shall have the right to require the employee to have a physical exam by a physician appointed and paid by the City, resulting in the physician's certification that the employee is unable to work due to the injury or illness as a condition precedent to the employee receiving any benefits under this section. The designated physician's opinion shall govern whether the employee is actually disabled or not, but shall not govern whether the City shall extend the period of leave.
(e) When an employee is injured while on duty, the employee may be eligible to return to work on light duty, if available, with the prior approval of a physician attesting to the fact that the employee is capable of satisfactorily performing the specific functions with or without accommodations. The employee on light duty shall be compensated at his or her regular rate of pay while performing light duty work. The light duty may be in a department other than the employee's regular department and may involve work that is not within the employee's regular job description.
(f) The City shall have the right to ask any employee injured in the line of duty to perform light duty work if the physician approves the employee can return to such light duty. The light duty may be in a department other than the employee's regular department. If the employee refuses to perform light duty work, the City has the right to deny sick leave or injury leave to the employee.
(g) The employee is not permitted to work for any other employer during the hours that they are being paid Injury Leave by the City. Working for another employer during hours that the employee is being paid Injury Leave by the City, shall result in forfeiture of all Injury Leave pay for that injury or illness.
(h) Injury Leave will not be included in 'hours worked' when calculating overtime during a workweek.
(Ord. 6-2003. Passed 4-22-03.)