Employees expect their employers to take care of them when they get injured or contract an occupational disease as a result of the work they do. As administrators of occupational injuries and diseases for the Mining and Metals industry, our mandate is to help employers protect their employees from the financial burden they could be faced with when they can’t work due to contracting an injury or disease while on duty.
However, we can only provide the services efficiently to compliant employers, this then means that non-compliant employers expose their employees to financial risk when they cannot work due to injury or occupational disease.
Impact of non-compliance to employees
- Delayed claim liability acceptance
- Delayed benefit payments to injured employees
- No financial support to the employee’s beneficiaries in the event of a fatal death
RMA’s investigators involvement
To detect non-compliance and fraud, we employ full-time investigators and numerous external service providers who investigate suspicious cases and visit employers as required.
Where claims are found to be fraudulent, a case of fraud is opened with the relevant law authorities.
Cases which constitute non-compliance include:
- Intentional declaration of incorrect number of employees
- Under declaration of earnings to RMA
- Not registering with RMA and submitting your ROE’s
- Reporting of falsified claims
How to do the right thing:
Familiarise yourself with the provisions of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), particularly section 82, subsections 1, 3 and 5 referring to return of earnings and ensure that you comply with the provisions of the Act.
This will assist you in understanding the responsibilities of the employer and the employees relating to injuries on duty.