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Under the provisions of Act
809 of 1979, as amended by Act 929 of 1981, the Public Employee Claims
Division is the agency responsible for the investigation,
determination, payment, management and administration of the
approximately 2,800 workers' compensation claims filed each year by
state employees.
Where not otherwise excluded
by reason of a privately written policy for workers' compensation
liability, the State of Arkansas provides workers' compensation
benefits protection to the employees of state agencies, colleges and
universities, vo-tech schools, and boards and commissions. Workers'
compensation coverage is also provided for the emergency services
volunteer workers who are accidentally injured while performing
services under the call and supervision of the State of Arkansas or the
chief executive officers of the political subdivisions thereof.
The division operates the
state’s multi million dollar
claims office with a staff of twenty-four (24) personnel. Nine (9)
personnel are directly responsible for the investigation,
determination, and management of the claims. Support staff make up the
remainder of personnel.
In addition to their claim
management responsibilities, the
claims managers provide technical assistance to the public employers
and their employees. They hold workshops and seminars across the state
as needed to help and assist the public employers in their timely
reporting of job-related injuries and the employees in reporting their
claims.
PECD is leading an effort to
identify state agencies that
have extraordinarily high numbers of injuries. Once identified, PECD,
in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Labor and Arkansas
Rehabilitation Services is coordinating safety training, workplace
redesign recommendations, and supervisor training. The goal behind
these efforts is to assist agencies in accident prevention, as well as
early return to work of individuals who have sustained on the job
injuries. Also, training is provided to supervisors in order to give
specific information as to their direct role in the workers’
compensation process. With emphasis on these areas it is believed that
the employees of Arkansas State government will be able to work safer
and smarter with a minimum amount of time in the workers’
compensation system.
Just as private insurance
carriers and other self-insured
employers, PECD is subject to the rules and regulations of the Arkansas
Workers’ Compensation Commission. The Public Employee Claims
Division of the Arkansas Insurance Department is an agency that is
separate and apart from the Arkansas
Workers’ Compensation Commission.
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