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What is the employer-at-injury program?
As an injured worker, returning to work can be a primary concern. All parties benefit when a worker returns to work as quickly as possible after an on-the-job injury. The employer-at-injury program (EAIP) encourages the early return to work of injured workers by helping defray an employer’s early return-to-work costs and reducing claim costs. This voluntary program is funded by worker and employer contributions to the Workers’ Benefit Fund and is administered by the insurer responsible for the claim. The insurer helps the employer develop the early return-to-work job (transitional work), make purchases and request reimbursement from the department.
What
makes an employer eligible?
The employer must be the employer-at-injury or the employer at the time of an aggravation
or own motion opening. The employer must maintain Oregon workers’ compensation insurance
coverage and follow all Oregon workers’ compensation laws.
What
makes a worker eligible?
The worker must have an accepted or deferred Oregon compensable injury or occupational disease. The worker must be released for work with restrictions which prevent the worker from doing full-duty regular work.
What is transitional work?
For purposes of the EAIP, transitional work is temporary work with the employer-at-injury that is not the worker’s full-duty regular work. It’s assigned because the worker has restrictions and/or limitations that keep the worker from returning to full-duty regular work. Transitional work must stay within the worker’s specific injury-caused restrictions. An employer can modify the worker’s regular work, reduce the number of hours a worker works, or assign the worker to a different job to create transitional work. Transitional work can also be created through the use of worksite modification. The transitional work may also be a skills building class or course of instruction.
Who initiates use of the EAIP?
Use of the EAIP is optional. If the employer wants to use it, they request help from their workers’ compensation insurer or the insurer may suggest using the program. The insurer gets medical reports from the worker’s medical provider and helps the employer identify transitional work that the worker can do within their restrictions. The injured worker may or may not know that the employer is using the EAIP.
What are the benefits of EAIP?
Wage Subsidy repays the employer for 50 percent of the early return-to-work gross
wages for up to 66 work days within 24 consecutive months.
Worksite
modification reimburses the employer for rental, purchase, or modification of equipment
so the worker can do early return-to-work job duties within the injury related restrictions.
A maximum of $2,500 is available for worksite modification.
Early return-to-work
purchases provide the employer with reimbursement for a variety of purchases:
• Tuition, books and fees for a class or course of instruction to update existing skills or develop new skills meet the requirements of transitional
work. The training must be provided by an organization licensed or accredited by an appropriate body, or be an accredited on-line or
self-study course. The maximum benefit is $1,000.
• Tools and equipment required for the transitional work may be rented or purchased. If purchased,
they become the employer’s property. The maximum benefit is $2,500 (includes consumables).
• Clothing required for transitional work, except clothing the worker already possesses or
the employer normally provides. The clothing becomes the property of the worker. The maximum
benefit is $400.
The insurer
may make reimbursement requests on Form 2360 for all costs of the program, including a one-time
administrative fee of $120. If you have any questions about EAIP, call 800-445-3948, or email
eaip.oregon@state.or.us.
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