Employers Guide: How to Report and Claim Compensation When Employees Are Injured at Work

When an employee is injured at work, the employer is responsible for sending them for treatment and notifying the Compensation Fund within 15 days. Check the steps and how to report through the e-Compensate online system here.

Immediate actions employers must take when an employee is injured at work.

Workplace accidents are unwanted events, but when they occur, the most important factor is"speed and accuracy in coordination."Information from the Social Security Office states that employers are legally obligated to manage and report incidents to the Compensation Fund to ensure employees receive timely medical care, following two main steps:

Step 1: Sending the employee for medical treatment (immediately after the incident).

When an employee is injured while performing duties, the employer must promptly send them to a medical facility. Treatment falls into two main categories:

• If treated at a general medical facility (outside the agreement): the employer or employee must pay medical costs upfront and later claim reimbursement according to legal rights.
• If treated at an agreed medical facility: the employer must issue form กท.44 (referral form for medical treatment) for the employee to present at the hospital, allowing treatment without upfront payment.

Step 2: Reporting the incident to the Social Security Office (within 15 days).

After sending the employee for treatment, the employer must report the injury details by submitting form กท.16 (report of accident, illness, or disappearance) to the Social Security Office in the employee's work area. The law requires this to be done within 15 days from when the employer becomes aware of the injury.

Introducing e-Compensate: the new digital option for employers.

In the past, employers or HR personnel had to travel to the Social Security Office to submit forms กท.16 and กท.44 in person. Now, the Social Security Office has developed its digital infrastructure through the WCF Platform to offer the"e-Compensate" system,an electronic service for the Compensation Fund to enable faster and more efficient workflows.

Benefits of using e-Compensate for employers:

• Convenience: submit documents and report incidents anywhere, anytime, 24 hours a day via the internet.
• Speed: reports are sent directly to the Social Security Office's system immediately, reducing repetitive data entry.
• Security and reliability: employers can track and verify the status of their submissions at any time.
• Error reduction: the system helps validate basic information before actual document submission.

Managing employee injuries quickly and accurately not only complies with legal requirements but also demonstrates the organization's capability and care for its staff. Modern employers and HR should learn and start using the e-Compensate system to maximize convenience and benefits for both parties.

For further inquiries, employers or insured persons can visit the Social Security Office website at www.sso.go.th or call the Social Security hotline at 1506, available 24 hours.