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An injured federal worker is approaching 11 years since her work injury. What began as physical injuries and chronic pain eventually became something much larger.

Years of pain, difficulty finding providers who accept OWCP, delayed treatment, and the struggle to get related conditions formally accepted took a tremendous psychological toll. Severe depression and anxiety began affecting even basic self-care. A physical injury does not always remain a physical injury.

If years of chronic pain are affecting your sleep, mood, relationships, ability to care for yourself, or desire to be around other people, do not hide it because you are embarrassed or because you think that it will not be approved. Tell your doctors what is actually happening. Those consequences matter too.

And do not assume that because a condition has been mentioned in your medical records for years, OWCP has accepted it. There can be a difference between a doctor diagnosing a condition and OWCP formally accepting that condition as part of your claim.

Most importantly, do not give up on yourself.

After nearly 11 years, this worker finally has appropriate treatment in place, family support, and a plan. For the first time in a long time, there was optimism in her voice.

Getting better may start with something incredibly small. Get out of bed. Brush your teeth. Take a shower if you can. Make the appointment. Accept help when you need it. Do one thing today that moves you forward.

A bad day does not have to become a bad week, month, or year. Wash it away and start fresh tomorrow.

The OWCP process can be exhausting, frustrating, and painfully slow. You may not be able to control how quickly OWCP acts.

Do not let the process convince you that there is no path forward. Build your team. Be honest about what you are going through. Make a plan. Take the next small step. And keep going.

A recent Louisiana First Circuit case, Ory v. HKA Enterprises Industrial Solutions, LLC, highlights a potential downside when an employer continues paying an injured employee’s regular wages instead of workers’ compensation benefits.

After the injured employee was injured at work, his employer paid him $46,654.40 in regular wages over 19 weeks while he was unable to work. The workers’ compensation benefits otherwise owed during that period would have totaled only $14,117.00.

When the injured employee later returned to light duty earning less than before his accident and sought Supplemental Earnings Benefits (SEB), the employer claimed a credit for the wages it had previously paid.

The First Circuit held that the employer was entitled to a dollar-for-dollar credit for wages paid in lieu of workers’ compensation. After subtracting the comp benefits that should have been paid during those 19 weeks, the employer was left with a $32,537.40 overpayment credit that could be applied against compensation owed to the injured employee.

The takeaway: An employer continuing your regular paycheck after a work injury may sound like a great deal, but those payments may not be a gift. Under Ory, they can potentially create a substantial credit against workers’ compensation benefits you may need later.

Before accepting wages in place of workers’ comp, make sure you understand how those payments are being characterized and whether your employer intends to claim a future credit.

Ory v. HKA Enterprises Industrial Solutions, LLC, 2025 CA 0430 (La. App. 1 Cir. 8/6/2026).

General information only, not legal advice.

I just had a call with an injured federal employee who, like many, treated the 45-day COP period like it is just paid time off while they recover. Big mistake

Your COP period is your opportunity to build your OWCP case before you ever ask for compensation.

This person's COP was ending and she was panicking because she had not been told what to do next. Her doctor had been taking her off work, she was still treating, and she assumed OWCP was reviewing everything as it happened.

They were not. Her claim was still sitting in short form closure.

For those unfamiliar, short form closure is an administrative process used for many minor traumatic injury claims. OWCP authorizes limited medical benefits but does not perform a full adjudication unless something happens that requires the claim to be developed, such as evidence of ongoing disability, medical expenses exceeding the short form threshold, or evidence supporting a schedule award.

The problem is that many injured federal employees think OWCP is automatically gathering records, reviewing treatment notes, and building their case.

That is not how the process works.

OWCP can only evaluate the evidence that is actually in the file. If your physician's reports never make it into ECOMP, or if those reports simply say "remain off work" without explaining what your diagnosis is, how the work accident caused that diagnosis, and why that diagnosis prevents you from performing your job, then OWCP has very little evidence on which to make a compensation decision.

Then day 46 arrives and COP ends.

The employee files a CA-7 expecting wage-loss compensation to begin, only to discover that OWCP has to start developing the claim because the evidence needed to support acceptance and disability was never submitted.

That is when panic sets in.

The transition from COP to compensation should not be a surprise. During those first 45 days, you should be using the time to build your file:

1. Obtain complete medical reports—not just work excuses.
2. Make sure your physician clearly identifies your diagnosis.
3. Ensure the physician explains how the diagnosed condition was caused by your work injury.
4. Have the physician explain why your medical condition prevents you from performing the duties of your position.
5. Upload your medical evidence into eComp as it becomes available.
6. Keep your claim file current instead of assuming someone else is doing it.

Think of your COP period as your opportunity to prepare OWCP to make a favorable decision. If the evidence is already in the file when you begin requesting compensation, the transition is much smoother than if OWCP has to begin developing the case after your pay has already stopped.

Too many injured federal employees do not realize this until the paycheck ends. By then, they are trying to build the foundation of their claim while simultaneously worrying about how they're going to pay their bills.

Do not waste your 45-day COP period.

Use it to build the evidence that OWCP will need when it is time to decide whether you are entitled to compensation.

One of the biggest mistakes I see injured federal workers make is feeling like they have to do something simply because their claim has reached a new stage.

This week I spoke with the spouse of an injured federal employee who was worried they needed to immediately pursue a schedule award. After talking through the claim, the better strategy was actually to wait.

Why?

Because if you're still receiving periodic roll compensation, a schedule award may not increase the money you're receiving. Instead, this may be the time to strengthen your case by making sure all appropriate medical conditions are accepted, documenting any new post-surgical conditions (such as post-traumatic osteoarthritis), and continuing regular follow-up care so your medical record accurately reflects your condition over time.

In OWCP claims, timing matters just as much as evidence. Filing the right request at the wrong time can cost you opportunities later.

Every case is different, but don't assume the next form is the next step. Sometimes the best strategy is preserving your current benefits while building a stronger case for the future.

A senator out of Shreveport was on the Senate floor just now explaining how HB 456 (brought by a rep in BR) is "good for injured workers" because it allows an employer or insurance carrier to sue an injured worker if it wants to investigate a claim. It passed 20-17. These are the people that we have in office.