Workers’ compensation is designed to protect employees when they are injured doing work-related tasks. This can include injuries sustained from large machinery or injuries sustained as a result of unsafe habits at work. Whatever the cause of the injury, unfortunately not all people are covered by workers’ compensation laws. The type of coverage differs greatly from state to state and from each individual company. When trying to find out about your personal workers’ compensation benefits, research your company’s policy, your state laws, and the type of work you were doing at the time of the injury.
Company Policy
Depending on a number of factors such as how many people are employed by the company or the nature of the work rendered by the company, workers’ compensation can vary greatly from business to business. Many states require companies of a certain size to provide workers’ compensation benefits to its employees; however, some types of employees (such as seasonal employees and independent contractors) are not eligible for workers’ compensation. If you are unfamiliar with your place of employment’s policy, talk to a human resources manager about your rights.
State Laws
Because of the variances in state governments, the workers’ compensation benefits that you were offered in one state may not necessarily be the benefits that you have in another state. Each state, just like each company, has varying laws about who is qualified for workers’ compensation and how the compensation is to be paid. You can speak to an employment agency in your state to learn more about the types of benefits offered by your state’s system.
Type of Work Rendered
Some jobs, such as seasonal stocking jobs or domestic jobs such as housekeeping, are often not covered by workers’ compensation laws. Before agreeing to do any work that you would deem dangerous to your health or physical well-being, talk to your employer about your rights and benefits. This can clear any confusion as to what you can be compensated for if an accident did occur.
Workers’ compensation is a program designed to protect employees from losing work and wages due to an injury sustained on the job. When used appropriately, this program can help many employees in a desperate time of need and help provide for their families. If you were injured on the job and feel that you may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation, you may be interested in talking to a lawyer, like a workers’ compensation lawyer from Hickey & Turim. The right legal team can help guide you in the next steps to take in your case.
