Onus on Employer, School to Report Accident for compensation
The inclusion of Compensation for Employment and School Accidents under the Accident Compensation Commission Fiji (ACCF) has been made effective from January 1st, 2019.
In a statement, ACCF chief executive officer Parvez Akbar said it was now the duty of the employer to report any accidents or injuries to workers arising out of and in the course of employment to the Permanent Secretary for Employment and ACCF.
This should be within 14 days from the date that the employer becomes aware of it.
“However, if a worker dies as a result of accidents arising out of or during the course of employment, the employer has to report to the same authorities within seven days,” he said.
In the event of a personal injury sustained by a worker during working hours, the employer is liable to pay a weekly payment of two-thirds of the weekly earnings which the worker was receiving at the time of the accident.
“The maximum duration of these weekly payments must not exceed 260 weeks,” Mr Akbar said. “Employers do not have to pay any levy to ACCF as the funding for this scheme is sourced from the one per cent FNU levy which employers must continue to pay.
“From this year, all pupils are entitled to compensation for injuries as a result of an accident occurring on any school premises or during a school event.
“In the case of the death of a pupil, their personal representative is entitled to make an application on the deceased pupil’s behalf.” The reporting time frame for personal injuries or death of a pupil is the same as for employers.
The controlling authority of the school is to report accidents or
injuries within 14 days to the Permanent Secretary for Employment and ACCF and within seven days in the event of a death.