ISD Has Translated A Limited Number of Vital Documents. It appears that ISD has not developed a list of documents vital to the workers’ compensations program, or translated documents ISD units deem vital into non-English languages other than Spanish. We asked ISD to list and provide copies of all vital documents used in the workers’ compensation program and to indicate if each of the documents were translated into non-English languages. ISD responded that it “does not have a standard set of vital documents,” but ISD units identified forms, letters, orders and other documents they believe are vital in a workers’ compensation claim, and noted that documents translated into Spanish are available on the L&I website.58 ISD indicated that the following letters are vital: a letter indicating that ISD would be unable to process the claimant’s claim because of lack of information, and requesting a response within 10 days to avoid rejection of the claim; Notice of Decision letters indicating that a claimant’s claim for benefits was being rejected and that the claimant could appeal the decision within 60 days; a letter denying a claimant’s request to protest a decision issued by ISD; and a letter alerting the claimant that ISD made an overpayment to the claimant and that the claimant had 60 days to make a written request for reconsideration of the determination. Of the 44 claims, letters, and order documents ISD provided, all were written in English.59 While ISD provided copies of a “Protest Rights” form translated into 35 languages, a discrimination form it provided is only available in Chinese.60 Many of the translated documents ISD provided do not appear to be available on its website. In addition to the documents identified as vital by ISD, the L&I website indicates that a workers’ compensation claimant receives the following vital documents: a Claim Arrival Card; a First Payment Letter; a copy of the information pamphlet, Getting Back to Work: It's Your Job and Your Future;61 a copy of Workers’ Guide to Industrial Insurance Benefits;62 Notices of Decision; correspondence requesting any necessary additional information; and a Worker Verification Form63 for claimants receiving time-loss compensation. These listed documents 58 Response Documents, Question 8. 59 Response Documents, Question 8, ClaimsLettersAndOrders.zip. 60 Response Documents, Question 8, Forms Available in Foreign Languages, VitalFormsForeignLang.xlsx. 61 Available at xxxx://xxx.xxx.xx.xxx/IPUB/000-000-000.pdf (Last visited June 20, 2014). 62 Available ...
