Workplace Injury or Sick from Work. What do I do?

Injury without Medical Aid

Employee Responsibilities

• Seek Assistance: Obtain on-site first aid immediately if required.

• Report: Verbally notify your supervisor of the incident right away.

• Submit Form: Access the Incident Report Form and complete the Employee report within one business day of the injury.

Supervisor Responsibilities

• • Take Corrective Action: Inspect the area immediately and take steps to eliminate any hazards to prevent a repeat incident.

  • Ensure Compliance: You are required to ensure this incident is recorded. Follow up to ensure the employee submits their stream within one business day.

  • Witness Report: If there were witnesses to the accident, instruct them to log into the Incident Report Form and complete the Witness report.

  • If the employee is unable to complete their report within one business day, you must log into the form and complete the Incident Report Form.

Injury with Medical Aid

Employee Responsibilities

• Seek Medical Attention: Go to a medical clinic or hospital for evaluation and treatment.

• Report: Notify your supervisor of the injury as soon as it is safe to do so.

• Submit Form: Access the Incident Report Form and complete the Employee report before the end of the day of the injury.

• Provide Documentation: Send any documentation provided by your treating medical professional directly to the Manager - Health, Safety & Wellness.

Supervisor Responsibilities

• • Take Corrective Action: Immediately investigate the incident scene and take corrective actions to prevent another accident.

  • Mandatory Form Submission: You are strictly required to complete the Supervisor report of the Incident Report Form before the end of the day of the injury.

  • Witness Report: If there were witnesses to the accident, ensure they log into the form and complete the Witness report.

  • Employee Absence/Unavailability: If the employee is unavailable or hospitalized and cannot file their report, you must still complete your Supervisor stream before the end of the day and notify the Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness immediately.

  • Forward Documentation: Promptly forward any medical documentation provided by the employee to the Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness.

Employee misses work due to a workplace Injury

Employee Responsibilities

• Seek Medical Attention: If you have not yet received professional medical attention for this injury, you must seek medical attention.

• Submit Form: Complete the Employee report of the Incident Report Form within one business day.

Supervisor Responsibilities

• Take Corrective Action: Inspect the work environment and take any necessary corrective actions to avoid another injury.

• Immediate Notification: If the employee is not available to file their portion of the form, you must promptly notify Human Resources and the Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness immediately by filling out the Supervisor stream of the Incident Report Form.

• Attendance Tracking: Record the workplace absence specifically as WI (Workplace Injury) on the employee's attendance sheets.

Illness is 1-5 days (Short Term Leave)

Employee Responsibilities

• Notify: Inform your supervisor of your absence as early as possible according to department protocols.

• Medical Documentation: A doctor's note is usually not required if you return to work within 5 days. (Note: If your absence extends past 5 days, a note will be required and should be forwarded directly to the Manager - Health, Safety & Wellness).

Supervisor Responsibilities

1. Check Sick Time: Confirm the employee’s available accrued sick time.

2. Record Attendance:

   • If they have sufficient sick days: Track the time on their monthly attendance sheet and record it as "S" (Paid Sick Leave).

   • If they do NOT have sick time available: Record the absence on the attendance sheet as "SINP" (Unpaid Sick Leave).

3. Ensure Form Submission: If the employee has no sick time available, a Leave of Absence Form for unpaid sick leave must be submitted via Laserfiche. While anyone can fill this out, you must ensure it gets done.

Illness is 6 days to 3 weeks and 6 days (Short Term Leave)

Employee Responsibilities

• Form Initiation: You may initiate the Leave of Absence Form to log your illness leave, though a colleague or your supervisor can also start it.

• Provide Doctor’s Note: A doctor’s note is mandatory for absences greater than 5 days. You can upload this directly using Laserfiche when prompted or email it directly to the Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness.

• Communication: Expect the Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness to contact you to confirm your illness dates, return-to-work requirements, and key deadlines.

Supervisor Responsibilities

1. Check Sick Time: Confirm the employee’s available accrued sick time.

2. Ensure LOA Submission: You are ultimately responsible for ensuring the Leave of Absence Form is completed and submitted, regardless of who initially started the form.  In order to submit the LOA, you will need to include attendance records (FT Non-Union employees, Unifor, USW, COPE, IUOE) and include the employee's ID number (all personnel).  Contact the Manager - Health, Safety & Wellness if you require assistance in locating attendance records, or employee ID number.

3. Record Attendance:

   • If they have sufficient sick days: Track the time on monthly attendance sheets as "S" (Paid Illness Leave).

   • If they do NOT have sick time available: Track the time on attendance sheets as "SINP" (Unpaid Sick Leave).

4. Medical Clearance/Accommodations: If the employee holds a physically demanding, safety or risk sensitive role, a Job Demands Analysis (JDA) and Functional Abilities and Absence Form (FAAF) may be required after two weeks of continuous illness. Contact the Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness immediately to coordinate.

Illness is 4 – 16 weeks (Short Term Leave)

Employee Responsibilities

• Form Initiation: You (or a designee) may initiate the Leave of Absence Form.

• Provide Doctor’s Note: Ensure your doctor's note is uploaded via Laserfiche or sent directly to the Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness.

• Complete the FAAF: Once your absence reaches four (4) weeks, you will receive a Functional Abilities and Absence Form (FAAF). You must have your medical professional review your position's Job Demands Analysis (JDA) and complete the FAAF to document any functional limitations so the university can plan your gradual return to work or accommodations.  Forms and process follows our Employee Medical Accommodation Process found here.

• Unpaid Leave Support: If you do not have sick time and are on unpaid leave, review the Record of Employment (ROE) Information Sheet.pdf to request your ROE from Payroll Services for Employment Insurance (EI) eligibility.  You may also be eligible for a Long Term Illness Leave, see Disability | Lakehead University for more information.

Supervisor Responsibilities

1. Ensure LOA Submission: You are ultimately responsible for ensuring the Leave of Absence Form is completed and submitted to account for this extended timeframe.

2. Record Attendance: Mark as "S" (Paid) or "SINP" (Unpaid) on monthly attendance based on their available sick time.

3. Equipment & Property Return: Consider whether the duration of the leave requires the employee to temporarily return university property (e.g., laptops, keys) and whether department-specific benefits or stipends must be suspended.

4. Personal Belongings Care: If it becomes necessary to pack up the employee's personal belongings for safekeeping, this process must be witnessed and documented. Place a copy of the documentation form directly inside the belongings.  Form can be downloaded here.

5. Accommodations Process: Work closely with the Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness (who will verify sick time, provide the JDA, and oversee the medical accommodation and return-to-work procedures).

Illness is 17 weeks – 24 months (Long Term Leave)

Employee Responsibilities

• Transition to LTD: At 17 weeks, you may be eligible to transition from short-term sick leave to Long-Term Disability (LTD) benefits. Review the Lakehead University Disability Page for eligibility details.

• Medical Documentation: Continue providing required medical documentation as directed by the Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness, who will manage your LTD case file.

Supervisor Responsibilities

1. Maintain Preceding Protocols: Continue to follow the standard attendance tracking, Laserfiche LOA management, and personal belongings safekeeping protocols outlined in the 4–16 week bracket.

2. Asset and Stipend Retrieval: You must officially request that the employee return all university property (such as keys, laptops, or equipment) and ensure all department-specific benefits or stipends are ceased.

3. Job Demands Analysis (JDA): A Job Demands Analysis is mandatory. If this was not completed prior to the 17-week mark, you must complete it now (even if the employee is currently unavailable).

4. Case Management: Coordinate directly with the Manager, Health, Safety and Wellness, who will confirm illness dates, return-to-work requirements, and handle direct communications regarding LTD with the employee.

A new leave of absence form is required to document the extended leave. 

Please ensure that your employee has sufficient sick time to cover the extended absence.  If sick time has been exhausted, a separate leave of absence for the unpaid sick leave is required.  Please ensure to record this on the leave of absence form as sick leave with zero (0) sick days available.  This is NOT a leave without pay. 

If your employee has provided medical documentation to you, this will need to be uploaded to laserfiche following submission of the Leave of Absence.  After the Leave of Absence has been submitted, a separate task "Medical Documentation Submission" will be assigned to the supervisor and employee.  This will allow either to upload medical documentation if available.  This process has been designed as a separate task to ensure confidentiality, limiting access to those who are directly overseeing the sick leave management.

Medical notes are sufficient to support an absence of any duration.

Functional Abilities and Absence Forms are required when:

• Duration of leave is longer than 2 weeks, and the employee's position is physically demanding,
• Duration of leave is longer than 4 weeks (all employees), or
• Medical accommodations will be required to transition the employee back to work, or will be required for a longer duration upon return to work.