Your workers’ compensation legal rights
PG&E provides both state-mandated and non-mandated benefits to workers who incur work-related injuries and illnesses. Here’s a breakdown of both types of benefits:
State-mandated workers’ compensation benefits
- Medical care: All medical care reasonably required to cure or relieve the effects of a work-related injury or illness, including doctor visits, physical therapy, surgery, hospitalization, orthopedic supplies, prescriptions, transportation and other care.
- Temporary disability: Non-taxable payments in lieu of salary while you are temporarily or totally disabled due to a work-related illness or injury. State law mandates the rate of these payments. You must report secondary income to your Workers’ Compensation Representative. Failure to do so is unlawful.
- Permanent disability: Non-taxable payments for employees who do not fully recover from a work-related illness or injury. A doctor determines when you have reached your maximum level of improvement, the nature and extent of your remaining disability, the need for further medical treatment and if/when you will be able to return to your usual job duties. The Workers’ Compensation team determines the amount of these payments in accordance with workers’ compensation laws. Your permanent disability award is subject to approval by the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
- Supplemental job displacement benefit: If you were injured on or after Jan. 1, 2004, are permanently unable to perform your usual job, and have not been reassigned to another job with PG&E, you may qualify for the supplemental job displacement benefit (SJDB).This benefit offers a non-transferable voucher that can be used to pay for educational retraining or skill enhancement, or both, at state-approved or state-accredited schools. The voucher covers school tuition, fees, books and expenses required by the school for training.
- Death benefits: If a work-related illness or injury results in your death, your surviving dependents may be entitled to death benefits in an amount determined by the number of dependents and the date of your injury or illness. Burial expenses are included in death benefits and the amount varies depending on the date of injury.
Additional workers’ compensation benefits provided by PG&E
- Light duty/transitional work: Work assigned to you on a temporary basis when you cannot perform your regular job tasks due to illness or injury. Your assignment may be either a modification of your usual job duties or alternative work, based on information provided by your doctor.
- Supplemental benefits: Employees who lose time from work due to a work-related illness or injury may be entitled to Supplemental Benefits. When combined with temporary disability or vocational rehabilitation benefits, supplemental benefits can increase your disability income up to 75% of your regular weekly wage. Hiring Hall employees are excluded from this benefit. Supplemental Benefits are considered an advance on permanent disability benefits and will be taken as a credit against any resulting permanent disability. For injuries or illnesses occurring on or after January 1, 1991, the credit will be taken for the first 182 days of your absence from work. All injured employees with lost time will be mailed a supplemental benefits request form. In order to receive supplemental benefits, you must fill out and return the form to the PG&E Workers’ Compensation department.
Return-to-work programs
PG&E provides light duty/transitional jobs and internal rehabilitation programs to help you return to productive work following a work-related injury or illness. For information on the Return to Work Task Program, please see information here. (Note: you’ll need PG&E network access to view this information.)
Internal job search
In the event you are unable to return to your usual job responsibilities following a work-related illness or injury, PG&E will perform an internal search of employment opportunities for you. The state mandates a 30-day internal search period; however, PG&E has extended the search to 60 days. Hiring Hall employees and interns are excluded from this benefit.
Other benefits
Contact your Workers’ Compensation Representative to determine if you are eligible for other PG&E Workers’ Compensation benefits.
If you are not receiving wages or Workers’ Compensation benefits, you may be eligible for wage loss benefits through PG&E’s Voluntary Disability and Paid Family Leave Benefit Plan (Voluntary Plan), and/or the California Employment Development Department (EDD). For additional information, including information about leaves of absence for which you may be eligible, call the leave and disability administrator at 855-732-8217 or visit the medical leave of absence page under the Time Off and Accommodation section. For state-specific benefits, call the EDD at 415-973-2363.
Medical provider network
PG&E has a designated medical provider network (MPN) for workers’ compensation cases. See the Medical Provider Network section for more information.