Contracted COVID-19 at work? Here’s how to claim from Compensation Fund

It is said that claiming from the Compensation Fund is very straight-forward and can come in handy after you’ve contracted COVID-19 at work.

Last year, the department of employment & labour issued a directive in a gazette to clarify the position of the Compensation Fund regarding compensation claims for workplace-acquired COVID-19.

“All employees, regardless of COVID-19 are entitled to make a claim for compensation in the event that they contract COVID-19 at the workplace,” according to the gazette. Employees who contracted COVID-19 through “work-related exposure, being exposed to people who have or are suspected to have the virus at work, while travelling on an official business-work related trip or while performing one’s work-related duties” were eligible to claim.  

According to Eye Witness News, to claim from the Compensation Fund all you have to do is:

How do I claim from the Compensation Fund?

1.Report your injury or disease immediately to your employer or supervisor. Your employer is legally responsible for reporting your injury on duty to the Compensation Fund within seven (7) days of receiving notice from you and within fourteen (14) days when it is an occupational disease as well as submitting the necessary forms and documents.

2. When you go to hospital or the doctor of your own choice, you should take the duly completed, signed and dated, Employers Report of an Accident form (W.CI.2 – Part B) from your employer, with you. The employer can also register your claim electronically and give you the claim number for you to inform your doctor.

3. When the doctor gives you the First Medical Report (W.CI.4) and Progress/Final Medical Reports (W. CI.5), you must give them to your employer to send to the Compensation Fund.

4. If you feel that your employer does not cooperate or assist you, or if you think your accident has not been reported to the Compensation Fund, or it is taking too long, go to your nearest Provincial Office or nearest Labour Centre and report this.

5. If you qualify for compensation, you have to submit the following documents to the Compensation Fund:

• Form (W.Ac.33 obtainable at your Provincial Office or your nearest Labour Centre or download if from www.labour.gov.za) must be duly completed and signed by the employee and stamped and dated by the bank;
• A certified original copy of your ID;
• First page of your bank statement, not older than three months; and
• Proof of residence i.e. water and electricity bill, etc.

These documents should be the original documents and not older than three months.

6. The reporting process for Covid-19 claims is exactly the same as for any other claim.

Which documents do I need for COVID-19 claims?

• Employer’s Report on an Occupational Disease (W.Cl. 1) duly completed, signed and dated;
• Notice of an Occupational Disease and Claim for Compensation (W.Cl. 14);
• First Medical Report (W.Cl. 22);
• Exposure and Medical Questionnaire;
• Exposure history (W.Cl. 110) and/or any other appropriate employment history which may include any information which may be helpful to the Compensation Commissioner; and
• Pathology results (RT-PCR Cov -2 RNA) confirming the existence of Covid-19 on sputum, orophanryngeal or nasophanryngeal specimen taken at the time of screening.

7. It is your duty to follow up with the Compensation Fund to check the status of your claim.