From your very first day you were hired with the postal service, you are covered under the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) which entitles you to compensation for work-related injuries. The postal service cannot discipline for you filing a claim under the FECA, nor can they let you go within your probationary period for sustaining an on the job injury and filing a claim.
The NALC and Branch 1111 are committed to helping injured members with their on the job injuries. This is strictly a benefit of your union membership. If you are not a member and need help, contact the Branch Office at 510-237-5111 to join the NALC so we can help you too.
If you are a NALC Branch 1111 member, please contact your full-time officer immediately so we can assist you from the beginning with your injury claim.
If you are injured…
Immediately report the injury to your supervisor EVEN IF you believe the issue will resolve itself. Sometimes injuries appear minor at first and then manifest several hours later, going from minor to a major injury.
Completing a CA-1 / CA-2
CA-1 Notice of Traumatic Injury
You could complete a CA-1 - Notice of Traumatic Injury if your injury was caused by a specific event or series of events within a single day or work shift.
There are two ways you can file a CA-1, requesting and/or printing a copy and submitting it to management or online through www.ecomp.dol.gov.
If you elect to submit a paper copy, you must submit the CA-1 to management, and they need to provide you a signed copy of the fourth page as a receipt of receiving the CA-1. You must receive the fourth page as certification of the submission of the CA-1. If management refuses to provide you the signed receipt, contact your branch officer.
If you elect to file your claim online through OWCP’s ECOMP, you can either register and file your claim from your home computer, tablet, or cell phone. ECOMP allows employees to electronically file claim forms, compensation forms, track the status of forms or documents submitted through ECOMP, and electronically upload and submit documents to an existing OWCP claim file. You can go to the ECOMP website, www.ecomp.dol.gov and clock on HELP on the upper right hand order of the page. A drop down menu has a User Guide for Injured Workers. Click on that link to access step-by-step instructions and instructional videos on registering with ECOMP and filing claim forms.
Management should provide you a CA-16, Authorization for Treatment if you report your injury promptly.
Always select Continuation of Pay (COP) on the CA-1. COP is only available if a CA-1 is filed within 30 days of the date of injury.
CA-2 - Notice of Occupational Disease and Claim for Compensation
This form is used for an employee to file a claim for an occupational disease and to claim compensation. An occupational illness is a condition that is caused by a continued or repeated exposure to elements of the work environment over a period longer than one work day or shift.
You can either request and/or print and complete a paper copy of the CA-2 or you can file it electronically through ECOMP as described above. If you file a pager copy, management must provide you the fourth page of this form as the signed receipt of submission.
Right to see your own doctor
Management is required to inform you of your right be treated by the medical provider of YOUR CHOICE. If management takes you to the postal service doctor (such as Concentra, US Healthworks, etc) you have to be SEEN by them but you DO NOT have to be TREATED by them.