Service Connected Injury/Disease. In the event an employee is injured or contracts a disease while performing the employee’s duties, the employee shall receive full pay for one hundred thirty-five (135) calendar days, or a longer period of time as the Employer may allow, from the date of the injury as filed with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (OBWC). The Employer shall provide an injured employee all necessary forms, materials and appropriate phone numbers pertaining to filing claims with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. Application for such leave shall be filed with the Employer and the appropriate claim filed with OBWC. At the time of application of such leave, the employee shall sign an agreement to assign or return all monies received from the OBWC as wage replacement for the same period of time during which the employee received full pay in lieu of wage replacement from OBWC. The Employer will only pay regular and holiday pay during the leave. An employee making application for such leave shall sign an authorization to release to the Employer all medical information regarding the occupational injury in the possession of the employee’s treating physicians and treatment facilities for which the injury leave is requested and shall also agree to be examined by a licensed medical practitioner selected and paid for by the Employer, if the Employer deems necessary. An employee claiming an occupational injury shall immediately file an accident report when the injury is incurred, seek medical attention and shall file an injury claim with the OBWC as soon as practicable after the injury. The Employer may request a hearing before the OBWC to determine the claim’s validity. An employee who has exhausted paid injury leave as described above may elect to use sick leave and vacation leave in lieu of receiving wage replacement income from OBWC. An employee on an approved sick or injury leave may, with the doctor’s permission and at the Employer’s discretion, be required to work, or be assigned other duties or limited duties, during the period of disability. The employee shall receive their regular rate of compensation for any hours worked. During such temporary reassignment, the Employer shall review every thirty (30) days whether the continuation of such limited duties is possible and shall give the employee at least seven (7) days’ notice of the discontinuation of such limited duties.
