If you were injured as a result of your job duties, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, provided the injury meets the compensatory requirements set forth by Minnesota statues and law.  If your claim is accepted, Rochester Public Schools will pay medical charges for work related injuries and compensate injured workers for lost wages, if applicable.

Workers’ compensation benefits generally cover what is medically reasonable and necessary to treat your work injury, such as exams, office visits, medical tests, prescriptions, medical supplies, equipment, and mileage to medical treatment. Certain medical testing and treatment do require prior approval. Reach out to your claims adjuster at State Fund Mutual (SFM) if you are scheduled for specialized testing, imaging (other than x-rays), surgery or procedures to find out if it needs to be prior approved.

If you are losing time from work because of your injury, you may be entitled to wage loss benefits. State law dictates how much you receive, and for how long. Rochester Public Schools follows the Department of Labor and Minnesota state law which regulate Workers' Compensation benefits such as the criteria for accepting a claim, treatment parameters, waiting period (the number of days you must be off work before wage loss benefits begin), the percentage of wage loss benefits an employee is eligible for and the maximum amount of wage loss benefits you can receive. If you are taken off of work by your doctor, a copy of your work release must be provided to Jen Stewart (Employee Services). An absence without a medical work release is not reimbursable by Workers' Compensation.

• Contact the Workers’ Comp Representative at 507.328.4248 and provide any needed information as soon as possible.

• You must provide medical documentation excusing you from work if you are losing time from work due to your injury as directed by your treating doctor.

• You must immediately provide an updated list of your work restrictions after each doctor's visit to your building administrator or manager and Jen Stewart (Employee Services).

• Inform your doctor that the District does provide light-duty work.

• Put your claim number on all papers and forms.

• Confirm your doctor knows a Workers' Compensation Claim has been filed and provide them with your claim number and SFM's billing address (SFM Companies, PO Box 9416, Minneapolis, MN 55440).

If your injury requires medical treatment and your claim is accepted, you will receive a pharmacy card in the mail from myMatrixx. You can use this card at participating pharmacies to avoid paying up front costs for work injury-related prescriptions. If you need to get a prescription filled before you receive the card, please contact the Workers’ Comp Representative.

If your doctor orders a diagnostic test, such as an MRI, or if you need medical equipment, please call your SFM claims representative at 952.838.4381. Your claims representative must pre-authorize these items before you can receive medical tests or equipment.

If you were taken off of work by your doctor, you must provide a written release from your doctor indicating that you may return to work and any restrictions that you may have. 

Rochester Public Schools has an Injury Management Program. Even if you can’t return to your regular job right away, we will provide temporary light duty work that you can safely do within your provided work restrictions.

If your work restrictions result in decreased hours, workers’ compensation benefits will pay two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury wage and reduced wage. Workers’ compensation wage loss benefits are not taxable.