Local business can provided valuable experiences to students through Community Placement positions.
Community Placement Positions
- Unpaid Job Shadowing: Short-term opportunities for students to explore career interests by observing work at the work site. Students may make one or a series of visits of varied lengths to various work places and spend time with individual workers to see what specific jobs entail.
- Internships: A structured non-paid work experience that integrates school and work-based experiences. Internships are often an extension of a shadowing experience that last longer than the job shadow placement. Students are engaged in a series o f learning experiences at the worksite that relates to school-based learning.
- Work Experience: A paid or non-paid career-oriented work experience that is tied to school lessons through formal training agreements, a formal learning plan and mentoring by work-place personnel. Both paid and non-paid experiences earn student s credit toward graduation. Students must earn at least minimum wage in paid placements.
Why should your business offer student community placement?
Local business’s benefit from providing this service by contributing valuable job experiences to our young people. Students are often influenced greatly by these experiences and may seek them out after graduation for careers. You might even acquire a valuable employee someday from this service.
Liability and Insurance Issues
In regard to the placement of students at local businesses, Eugene School District 4J (4J) will provide workers compensation coverage for the student and liability coverage for the student and the person(s) designated by 4J at the business location as the on site supervisor.
The supervisor shall be designated as a 4J Volunteer and thus come under 4J’s liability protection while the supervisor’s activities are within the course of and arising out of the agreed supervision of the 4J student. See Volunteering in 4J.
The business involved could have some liability if the student is injured and the cause is by someone at the business other than the designated supervisor. Likewise, 4J is responsible for the negligence of the student.
Does 4J require my business to have liability coverage?
Yes, we believe that any responsible business should be covered for at least $500,000 of bodily injury and property damage coverage. If a non 4J-designated supervisor instructs the student to do something that turns out to be negligent instructions, your business would be liable to a third party who might be injured and thus you would need your own liability insurance. Also, because 4J is a public entity they can not sign any hold harmless agreements.Would my workers’ compensation coverage ever be called into play for the student?
No, the student would be covered on 4J coverage as long as the student is not paid. If you decide to pay the student then you would cover them on your workers compensation and liability coverage just like your other workers.What if my business provides transportation for the student?
Your auto insurance would be primary over any 4J auto insurance that might apply. The student would still be covered by 4J’s workers’ compensation policy. See Transporting Students in Private Vehicles.Who do I call if I have more questions regarding risk management and insurance?
You should always contact your own agent.
