Disability Leave for Gloucester County, NJ Employees
As an employee of Gloucester county, if you’re injured on the job, it likely means you’ll miss work. However, what you may not know is that Gloucester County administers its own disability benefits system, which may provide you with important financial compensation while you recover from your injuries. At the New Jersey workplace injury law firm of Petrillo & Goldberg Law, we have more than 25 years of experience helping injured workers obtain the compensation they need to heal from their injuries and get back to work. We have recovered over $120 million on behalf of our clients and secure compensation for our clients in 97 percent of the cases we handle.
What Benefits Are Available to Injured Gloucester County Employees?
If you’ve been injured while working for Gloucester County, New Jersey, there are several ways that you may be able to obtain compensation for your injuries. The county’s Human Resources Manual explains that “[i]n case of disability due to illness or injury as a result of, or arising from, an employee’s job, the County pays Disability Leave” based on the terms of the employee’s job contract. For unionized employees, this figure can be ascertained by contacting your union spokesperson. However, if you are not a union employee or serve in a management position, the county will pay two weeks of benefits at 100 percent of your base pay plus an additional 24 weeks of disability benefits at 85 percent of your base pay. As long as your injury is determined to be work-related, then the county will not require you to use your sick time.
In addition to disability benefits through the County, injured workers may also pursue a workers’ compensation claim. Like disability benefits, workers’ compensation benefits are payable to workers who suffered an injury, illness or disability as a result of their job. There is no requirement that you prove anyone else was at fault to obtain workers’ compensation benefits. However, if you successfully pursue a Gloucester County workers’ compensation claim, your disability payments will be reduced by the amount of workers’ comp benefits you received.
Before Gloucester County pays out any disability benefits, certain conditions must be met.
- An injured worker must immediately report the accident to their supervisor.
- If the accident involved any property owned by the County, the injured worker must complete the Notice of Accident/Injury Form.
- An injured worker must provide their employer with notice of all medical appointments and allow the County to verify that a worker attended their scheduled appointments.
- An injured worker must communicate with their direct supervisor regarding the outcome of each appointment.
- An injured worker must provide their supervisor with all documentation of medical appointments and any doctor-ordered work restrictions.
- An injured worker must participate in rehabilitation by attending all recommended appointments, including for physical therapy, diagnostic tests and therapeutic measures.
Notably, the County is not responsible for—and will not pay—medical expenses that were not authorized. Thus, it is crucial for workers to ensure an open live of communication with their supervisor or the Human Resources Department.
Are Gloucester County Employees Entitled to Disability Benefits for Non-Work-Related Accidents?
Under the New Jersey Temporary Disability Benefits Law, temporary disability benefits are available to those employees who are unable to work because of illness or injury that is not caused by or related to an employee’s job. While these temporary cash benefits are usually an optional add-on for employees, Gloucester County has decided to pay for these benefits on behalf of its employees.
To begin receiving benefits for an injury that prevents you from working but was not caused by or related to your work, the following must apply:
- You must use up all your banked sick days;
- You must meet the medical requirements outlined in the NJ Temporary Disability Benefits Program;
- You must have worked at least 20 weeks, earning more than $103 per week, or earned $5,200 over the past 52 weeks;
- You must wait one week after your injury before you begin receiving benefits.
Have You Been Injured While Working for Gloucester County?
If you were recently injured in a Gloucester County work accident, you are likely entitled to disability benefits of one type or another. However, determining which type of benefits offers you the most compensation may not be straightforward. Additionally, the County and its insurance provider may reject your claim if it believes your injuries were not related to your work, that they were preexisting, or that they are not as serious as you believe them to be. At the Petrillo & Goldberg Law, we have more than 25 years of experience advocating on behalf of injured workers, including those seeking Gloucester County disability benefits. We can help you understand your rights and effectively pursue them. To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation, call 856-486-4343 today. You can also reach us through our secure online contact form.
