If you have employees, chances are you offer them some form of workers compensation. However, a lot of employees don’t know or don’t understand workers comp and how it could apply to them. It’s important to ensure that every employee understands what workers comp means in their industry, how they might apply it in different situations, and how to file a request for workers comp. First of course, that requires you, the employer, to understand exactly what it is that you’re offering.
When an employee gets injured on the job, they are eligible to collect workers compensation benefits during the time they spend recuperating from their injury or illness. While claiming workers comp tends to be a pretty straightforward process, there are quite a few guidelines that determine whether or not an employee is eligible to receive these benefits–and that is where things can get complicated. It’s important to note that it’s irrelevant whether the employee or employer was responsible for the employee becoming injured or ill. All that matters is that an injury occurred while an employee was on the job. If an employee was working at the time an injury occurred, they may be eligible to receive workers compensation. Injuries that might occur in the workplace could be anything from falling off a ladder to a strained back due to carrying heavy objects.
Workers compensation exists to take care of employees and their families during a time of injury. It ensures that individuals who are injured while working are covered so that they can continue to pay bills and  tackle any medical costs associated with their illness or injury. It is important to note, however, that in most cases workers comp payments may be capped by law. This is to help protect employers who may or may not have been at fault for the accident occurring in the workplace. Payments, while disbursed to injured individuals quickly, will actually decrease over time. This allows employees to get back to their work slowly while still being given enough time to fully recover.
There are many different types of injuries that qualify for workers compensation. A few of these include burns or respiratory ailments due to working with chemicals, hurting your back, or even injury due to repetitive motions (a wrist injury due to typing). A stress-related injury may also be covered, but this is something to look into when you first begin to inquire about workers compensation for your employees.
Workers compensation is there to protect both the employee and the employer. It’s important to understand why it exists, how it can be used, and how employees may benefit from it in the event they are injured or become ill on the job. Learn more about workers comp: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/79594
