Compensation for workplace acquired COVID-19 virus disease

Following the earlier Newsflash “Compensation for Workplace Acquired Covid-19 Virus Disease” circulated on the 25^th of May 2020, which is attached hereto, the Department of Employment and Labour has issued a second Directive in this regard.

The most important part for RMI members of this second Directive is the substitution of the old claims form by the new claims form “Covid-19 Exposure and Medical Questionnaire” which is also attached.

Please print or save this new form for ready access should the need arise.

The procedure for submission of claims is as follows: –

Online claims for Covid-19 must mention the ICD-10 code of ‘UO7.1’.

Compensation Fund                       CompEasy (www.labour.gov.za

Rand Mutual Assurance                CompCare (www.randmutual.co.za)

Manual claims must be sent to these e-mail addresses:

Gauteng              GP-Covid19claims@labour.gov.za                                            (012) 319 9352

Limpopo              LP-Covid19claims@labour.gov.za                                              (015) 290 1696

North West        NW-Covid19claims@labour.gov.za                                           (018) 387 8169

Mpumalanga     MP-Covid19claims@labour.gov.za                                           (013) 655 8944

Free State           FS-Covid19claims@labour.gov.za                                              (051) 605 6331

KwaZulu Natal   KZN-Covid19claims@labour.gov.za                                          (031) 366 2033

Northern Cape  NC-Covid19claims@labour.gov.za                                            (053) 838 1570

Eastern Cape     EC-Covid19claims@labour.gov.za                                             (041) 506 5119

Western Cape   WC Covid19claims@labour.gov.za                                            (021) 441 8174

The other changes in the second Directive that are relevant to RMI members are the following:

1. A claim for the contracting of the Covid-19 virus by an employee ‘at the workplace’ has now been broadened to include cases both where an employee contracts the Covid-19 disease whilst travelling in ‘high-risk countries or areas’, or whilst carrying out ‘any duty’ related to the employer’s business interests. This is clearly a very wide scope.

2.  The addition of a group called ‘Persons Under Investigation’ (PUI); these are employees whose diagnosis is still under investigation.
3. The COIDA fund will not compensate these employees at this stage.
4. Employers should instead place the employee on paid sick leave* (with a claim to the Sick, Accident, and Maternity (SAMF) fund where appropriate).
5. Where the sick leave allocation has been exhausted, employers should claim for compensation for the employee under the TERS scheme**.

(*Consolidated Covid-19 Directive on Health and Safety in the Workplace)

(**Covid-19 Temporary Employee/ Employer Relief Scheme)

Download “COMPENSATION FOR WORKPLACE ACQUIRED COVID-19 VIRUS DISEASE - 22 MAY”