ECOMP- E-nnovating Federal Workers’ Compensation Claims and Benefits

By GARY STEINBERG, U.S. DOL– When a worker is injured on the job, the last thing they need is a towering headache of paperwork.

Employers also want to resolve claims efficiently and get their injured employees back to work.

Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation Deputy Director Tony Rios and DFEC Chief, technical assistance Julia Tritz demonstrate ECOMP, new technology for administration of workers’ compensation for federal employees.

Making this process more efficient has been a top business goal for operations across the country.

At the Department of Labor, we are at the forefront of improving the filing process with ECOMP – the Employees Compensation Operation and Management Portal – a free online system developed by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs’ Division of Federal Employees Compensation.

ECOMP, unveiled late last year, is an innovative and efficient method for filing workers’ compensation claims in the federal workforce.

It’s a procedure that can often cut in half the time it takes to file forms and may quicken the processing of your claim.

The most important forms, depending on the federal agency, can be filled out online after an easy registration.

Workers may report their injuries and illnesses by filling out the necessary forms on the ECOMP site.

ECOMP Does Documents

Another feature available in ECOMP is the ability to upload documents.

We’ve made it easy for doctors, representatives and employing agency staff to submit supportive documents – such as a medical report – on a claimant’s behalf, should the worker desire.

Uploaded documents can also be tracked using an ECOMP-generated tracking number.

Additionally, workers’ compensation staffs from the employing agency are provided a dashboard with which they can manage claims, send email reminders to supervisors – and even file the necessary forms on behalf of workers who are incapacitated or otherwise unable to initiate the process.

Earlier this month, an interagency meeting hosted by OWCP at the Labor Department gathered representatives from across federal agencies to discuss the progress and collaborative improvements to the portal.

Many agencies have adjusted their systems ahead of schedule, providing helpful feedback and questions; some even attested to improvements in their timeliness and accuracy of processing new claims.

Interested federal workers were also in the audience to learn about ECOMP.

OWCP is here to help. With ECOMP, we’re advancing the timely filing of compensation and wage loss claims, and helping sick and injured employees get back to work.

Gary Steinberg is the Acting Director for the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs.