Work Injury Centers of Arizona · Phoenix, AZ

The First 30 Days After a Federal Work Injury

Published 2026-09-09 · Written by the team at Work Injury Centers of Arizona

The first month after a federal work injury decides most of what follows. The rules are strict, the deadlines are real, and the order matters. This is what to do, in order, if you are a federal employee in the Phoenix area who just got hurt on the job.

Day 1: report it and get seen

Tell your supervisor in writing the same day, even if the injury seems minor. Then get to a doctor who is enrolled with the Department of Labor and understands OWCP. You have the right to choose your own physician under FECA; your agency can suggest one, but the choice is yours. The first medical report sets the tone for the whole claim, so this is not the visit to go to an urgent care that has never heard of a CA-1.

Days 1-3: file the right form

For a traumatic injury (one event, one shift), file Form CA-1. For a condition that built up over time, file Form CA-2. Most agencies now file through ECOMP, the Department of Labor's online portal. Complete your section yourself, in your own words, and keep a copy of everything. If you are not sure which form applies, ask before you file, not after.

By day 30: protect continuation of pay

If you filed a CA-1 within 30 days of the injury, your agency continues your regular pay for up to 45 calendar days while the claim is processed. Miss the 30-day filing window and continuation of pay is lost. This deadline is the reason we tell every federal employee to call the day they are hurt, not the week after.

Throughout: the medical evidence

OWCP accepts claims on documentation, not sympathy. Your doctor's narrative report needs to state the diagnosis, describe how the injury happened, explain in plain terms that the work caused or aggravated the condition, and list your work restrictions. Every follow-up visit should produce an updated report. If you change your restrictions, your agency and OWCP both need to know, in writing.

What not to do

Do not go back to full duty because a supervisor asked you to, without a doctor's release. It undermines the claim and can make the injury worse.
Do not pay for treatment out of pocket expecting reimbursement later. Accepted claims are billed directly to the Department of Labor; a DOL-enrolled clinic bills them, not you.
Do not let a denial letter end the conversation. Most denials are for missing documentation, and most can be reconsidered or appealed once the medical evidence is rebuilt.

Where we come in

Work Injury Centers of Arizona only treats injured federal employees. Our case managers help with the CA-1 or CA-2 and ECOMP at no charge, our medical team writes the narrative report OWCP requires, and treatment on an accepted claim costs you nothing. If you are inside your first 30 days, call now. If you are past them, call anyway; there is usually still a path.

Sources

Work Injury Centers of Arizona is an independent medical clinic. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Labor or the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). Claim outcomes depend on the facts of each case. If you're an injured federal employee in the Phoenix area, call (602) 760-1401 and we'll tell you exactly what to file.