24. INSURANCE AND INJURY BENEFITS
24.1 Health and Life Insurance Coverage
24.1.1 The School Board agrees to pay the premium for the employee
for a comprehensive medical insurance program.
24.1.2 The employee may insure his/her dependents with the School
Board's comprehensive medical insurance program provided that
he/she pays the additional premium and provided they are enrolled
within the first thirty-one days of employment or within the first
thirty-one days of a change in dependent coverage or during the
Employee Benefits open enrollment period.
24.1.3 In the event of lay-off, ESP employees will be permitted
to continue as members of the health group for up to one year
at their own expense past the time of prepaid coverage or until
covered by a new employer, whichever is sooner.
24.1.4 The Board shall make available to employees a pre-tax benefit
program that will allow employees to purchase insurance and other
benefits through pre-tax payroll deduction.
24.1.5 The School Board agrees to pay the premium for employee
coverage for term life insurance. The employee shall designate
a beneficiary for the payment of such coverage.
24.1.6 ESP employees on approved leave or on retirement may continue
insurance coverage by paying the total premium on a monthly basis
to the school system. For exceptions occurring for Workers' Compensation
leave, health leave, and maternity leave, see Sections 17.8.9,
17.15.2, and 17.17.2.
24.2 Personal Injury Benefits Resulting From Assaults
24.2.1 Whenever an ESP is temporarily absent from work and temporarily
unable to perform his/her duties as a result of an assault incurred
in the scope and course of his/her employment and not the result
of his/her own negligence, he/she will be paid his/her full salary
less the amount of any workers' compensation payment or award
made for temporary disability due to said assault for the actual
period of such temporary absence as verified by a doctor for a
total period of up to 12 months from the date of such assault.
Such pay shall not exceed the amount an employee is entitled to
receive under his/her contract. Absences directly attributable
to an assault will not be charged to sick leave for the period
of temporary disability up to 12 months as stated above. Any and
all appropriate leave forms shall be marked for Workers' Compensation
and sent to the Risk Management Department. The Risk Management
Department shall be responsible for reporting usage and payments
of leave to both the appropriate Division of Human Resources department
and the Payroll Department.
24.2.2 The Board shall have the right to have the ESP examined
by a physician designated by the Board to assist it in determining
the length of time during which the ESP is temporarily unable
to perform his/her duties, and that the disability is attributable
to the injury involved. In the event there is an adjudication
of the period of temporary disability in the appropriate Workers'
Compensation proceeding, the Board may adopt such adjudication.
24.2.3 Whenever an ESP employee's personal property is soiled,
damaged, or destroyed by students or non-students through acts
of personal physical assaults, if recovery by the Board is not
possible through legal means, the school system shall reimburse
the ESP when such losses occur in the performance of his/her duty.
All such assaults must be reported in accordance with the assault
policy.
24.3 Workers' Compensation Benefits (also see Section 17.8)
24.3.1 Payment of salaries by the Board and wage benefits payable
under Florida Workers' Compensation Statutes shall not be made
so as to result in double payment for any period of service.
Overpayments shall be paid to the School Board.
24.3.2 Board payments will cover the first ten days of absence
with doctor's verification. After the employee goes off the payroll
of the Board, the workers' compensation benefits shall be paid
to the employee.
24.4 Injury on the Job Reports
24.4.1 The administrator in charge or designee will report the
accident to the third party claims administrator as instructed
by the Risk Management Department. The injured employee shall
be given the form "Referral for Medical Treatment" which
will enable him/her to report to the doctor or hospital. This
form should be completed and mailed to the respective offices
within seventy-two hours after the injury.
24.4.2 An Employee Injury Report shall be made by telephone to
the third party claims administrator immediately upon notification
of injury.
24.4.3 The Board shall maintain a liability policy that covers
ESP employees while carrying out their duties and responsibilities.
