Student Teachers and Volunteers: Proper Coverage Endorsements
- Kevin Bartsch Assistant Director WC Pool Operations
Each year, school districts receive much-needed help from various volunteers who assist with activities of school district operations. Those activities often include chaperoning field trips, assisting during sporting events, or assisting in a teacher’s classroom. Additionally, many school districts help college students complete their Student Teaching programs.
Section 39-71-118 of the Workers’ Compensation Act is the relevant statutory reference for coverage of these volunteers. This section of the law describes a volunteer as someone who performs duties on behalf of the employer without payment of wages, as defined in section 39-71-11-123.
It is important to remember that those engaged in duties on behalf of the district who are not employees of the district are covered under the district’s optional volunteer coverage endorsement. This coverage provides applicable medical benefits to a volunteer injured while volunteering.
The volunteer endorsement coverage also applies to student teachers when they are working in a district meeting their teaching requirements. Because these individuals are not being paid wages, they, too, are covered. So, if you have student teachers in your district, be sure you have appropriate volunteer endorsement in place.
If you have any questions as to whether your district has this endorsement, or if you need to request that this endorsement be added to your policy, please contact MSGIA. Adding this endorsement to the policy is not immediate and can only be added at the beginning of the next available quarter.
As always, having the proper coverage is important, but even more critical is avoiding the accidents that result in the needed coverage. Let’s be safe! Return to newsletter