The Everyday Roles And Responsibilities Of A Work Supervisor

Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Office has designed an injury leave manual to assist all employees who have responsibilities for ensuring that injured employees receive the benefits and leave to which they are entitled under the Workers’ Compensation Act and the Pennsylvania Work-Related Injury Program. This manual designates the roles and responsibilities of work supervisors in this scenario.  

The law requires that injuries to employees be reported within 120 days. Notice of injury may be given to the injured worker’s immediate supervisor or other superior, to the employer, or any agent of the employer regularly employed at the place of employment of the injured employee. An agent’s knowledge through notice of the occurrence of the injury constitutes knowledge by the employer.

The saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is significantly applicable to safety in the workplace. Many individuals, including supervisors, have roles and responsibilities in preventing and addressing work-related injuries.

A supervisor has general responsibilities, as well as additional everyday duties that are in place to both prepare for and prevent the occurrence of a work-related injury.

The general responsibilities of a work supervisor include:

• Striving to ensure the safety of employees.
• Ensuring that prompt medical care is provided when injuries occur.
• Communicating to employees the procedures for reporting injuries.

Before an injury occurs, a work supervisor:

• Prevents injuries by training employees, encouraging them to have safe work habits and maintain safe work areas.
• Familiarizes employees with their responsibilities to report work-related injuries and any “close calls” immediately to the supervising individual in-charge.
• Obtains identification cards and the Return to Work Status Report for injured employees to take to their treating providers.
• Provides workers’ compensation prescription cards to employees to obtain medications to treat a work-related injury.
• Works with both the workers’ compensation coordinator and safety coordinator to identify how emergency medical care will be obtained, and whether it will be done through first responders, 911 emergency response, or transportation to local medical facilities.

Supervisors should never condone unsafe workplace conduct and safety rule violations. Employees who continue to commit offenses even after they receive training may require discipline to deter future unsafe conduct.

A work supervisor’s responsibilities increase when a work-related injury occurs. These roles extend beyond the date of injury and even beyond the time that an injured worker returns to work.

Since 1906, our practice has evolved litigating all types of workers’ compensation claims and cases and building a body of knowledge and expertise that provides our clients with a unique, distinct and incomparable advantage. Powell Law has an established 113-year-old reputation throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. Contact Powell Law at call (570) 961-0777. The consultation is FREE.