You have 30 days in which to report an injury on the job.  There is no requirement in the law to report an injury in writing, and you may do so verbally.  However, unless your employer takes an action that indicates knowledge of the injury — for instance, sending you to a clinic, hospital or doctor within those 30 days —  you may have a problem proving that you reported the injury verbally to your supervisor or human resources department within those 30 days.  For instance, a worker may injure her back and think it is just a sprain, so she does not initially report her injury.  Instead, she chooses to take a “wait and see” approach.    Five weeks later, her pain increases and she decides to report her injury and ask for medical treatment.  The claim may be barred.