Work Injuries | University of Portland

Work Injuries

What to do first if you are injured on the job

All on-the-job injuries and job-related illnesses must be reported to your supervisor and the Office of Human Resources as soon as possible.

  • If this is an emergency, call campus safety at ext. 4444
  • Seek medical care if needed. You may choose your own medical care provider.  The nearest Kaiser Permanente Medical facility is located at:

3550 N. Interstate Ave.
Portland, OR 97227
503.285.9321

  • Report your injury or illness to your supervisor immediately.
  • Complete a Report of Injury Form immediately, but no later than 24 hours after the injury occurs
  • Report your injury or illness to human resources immediately, either by calling (ext. 8484) or sending an email to hr@up.edu
  • With your supervisor, complete a Form 801 within three calendar days of the injury or illness and submit to Human Resources at hr@up.edu

Completion of Form 801 initiates a workers' compensation claim. You will receive notifications from our workers' compensation insurance carrier, Empire Pacific. If Empire Pacific determines that your injury or illness is work-related, they will accept your claim and notify you. If you claim is accepted, medical treatment for this injury or illness will be paid by Empire Pacific.

Notify your supervisor and human resources immediately if your medical care provider instructs you not to work or provides you with work restrictions. Keep your supervisor and human resources apprised of any changes in your return to work date or any changes in your work restrictions. If you miss work, you will need to provide documentation from your medical care provider to your supervisor and human resources that you have been released to return to work.

Information about Worker's Compensation Process*

*Please note, this information is from the Oregon State Worker’s Compensation Division. If there are any inaccuracies in this document, questions or concerns should be shared with the Oregon State Worker’s Compensation Division.

Pay and benefits during workers' compensation leave

During absences due to work injuries, an employee’s accrued and available sick time will be applied, then accrued and available vacation time will be applied. This allows employees to keep receiving compensation during such absences. After sick and vacation time is exhausted, absences are unpaid.

Generally, starting on the fourth consecutive day that an employee misses work, should the employee’s claim be accepted, the employee will receive time loss payments from Empire Pacific. Payment will not begin until the employee’s claim is accepted by Empire Pacific, and time loss payments are less than the employee’s regular compensation. More information about time loss payments will be provided to the employee by Empire Pacific.

If a claim is accepted by Empire Pacific, an employee can contact Human Resources and request that accrued and available sick and vacation time be applied on a prorated basis to days during which the employee receives time loss payments from Empire Pacific. Employees should email leaves@up.edu or call (503) 943-8484 to make this request.

Work injury absences may be subject to protection(s) under federal and/or Oregon leave law(s). Employees who have more than 5 days of absences (whether consecutive or intermittent) due to a work injury must contact Human Resources at leaves@up.edu or (503) 943-8484 to request a leave packet. Please click on this link to learn more: Leaves of Absence 

Policies regarding an employee’s receipt of benefits during a work injury leave of absence is the subject to the “Receipt of Benefits During Leave – Staff” policy

Workers Compensation and OFLA

Periods of employee disability resulting from a compensable on-the-job injury or illness will qualify as OFLA (Oregon Family Leave Act) if the injury or illness is a serious health condition, as defined by Oregon law.

OFLA leave will not be reduced by and will not run concurrently with any period the employee is unable to work because of a disabling compensable injury; however, if the injury or illness is a serious health condition and the employee has refused a bona fide offer of light-duty or modified employment, OFLA leave will commence. 

Additional Information

US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Oregon Workers' Compensation Division

Please note that the information noted here may not be applicable to all employees of the University. For example, faculty should review the information and policies in the Faculty Handbook and employment-related letters and agreements, as information in such sources would supersede the information here. As well, for certain staff, information and policies in their employment-related letters and departmental policies and directions may supersede the information here.