Border Patrol Agents and Support Staff,
Below is a very informative article from www.govexec.com, highlighting updated rules for how federal employees can receive worker’s compensation benefits if they are infected with the coronavirus. The article mentions “presumption of workplace causation” as it pertains to a federal employee testing positive for COVID-19.
This “presumption of workplace causation” applies to federal employees in high risk employment positions such as, law enforcement, first responders, and front-line medical and public health personnel. From the www.govexec.com article:Labor officials this week highlighted guidance issued in March, for the approval of workers compensation claims through the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA), effectively providing that presumption of workplace causation for some federal workers who contract COVID-19.“DOL acknowledges that it is difficult to determine the precise moment and method of virus transmission,” the department wrote. “Therefore, when an employee claims FECA benefits due to COVID-19, federal workers who are required to have in-person and close proximity interactions with the public on a frequent basis—such as members of law enforcement, first responders, and front-line medical and public health personnel—will be considered to be in high-risk employment . . . In such cases, there is an implicit recognition that a higher likelihood exists of infection due to high-risk employment.”If a federal worker deemed to be engaged in “high-risk employment” contracts the coronavirus, the department said that it will automatically assume that it was “proximately caused” by the employee’s work. If the claim is filed within 30 days, the employee is eligible for up to 45 days of Continuation of Pay (COP).
Read the full article by clicking on the link below: https://www.govexec.com/…/labor-department…/165182/ As always, contact a Union Representative for any employment related matters.
Thank you for your continued support!
Stay safe,
Hector Garza
President
Local 2455