Workers Compensation
Workers Compensation
Why do accidents happen in the workplace? many would be quick to say that it is because of negligence, or a simply unsafe working environment. A few would say that the worker is to blame for not following protocol. A extremely small few would say it is because of aliens. Well all but one of these are perfectly viable reasons why accidents happen, in reality a safe worker working in a safe environment is still at risk of injury. When you place “The Law of Truly Large Numbers”, (A law which states that enough trials, and even the most unlikely probability will eventually occur) into the work environment, it becomes evident that accidents happen in both unsafe and safe environments. This is why insurances such as Workers Compensation are important to have.
So what does Workers Compensation really do? More exact, what does Workers Compensation pay for? First and foremost, Workers Compensation pays for medical expenses related to the injury in question. This is different from basic medical insurance that a company may offer. Medical insurance is for general injuries and may include a co-pay. Workers Compensation doesn’t require any co-pay and is given regardless of your current insurance situation.
Secondary, it pays for lost wages due to the injury. Some minor injuries could have you back in the office the next day. If you are seriously injured and have to miss more than a week of work, what happens then? A broken leg isn’t going to stop the bills from coming in the mail. The amount of lost wages differs from person to person. Typically it is roughly 66% of an employee’s normal wage. For employees on salary, it is simple to figure out, since they get the same amount every pay period. For those working off wage, it would more likely be based off your average hours worked each week. It is important to have proper documentation of your weekly hours and pay scale. This will make deciding the amount to be paid move along with less obstacles.
If your injury prohibits you from returning to your previous position, and you have to enter a new position, workman’s compensation may pay for training or education as well.
If you are an employer, it is important to understand the way workman’s comp works. It may be easier for you to work with an outsourced company to set up your own workman’s compensation, or else one day you may find yourself paying far more for a lawsuit than you would be paying for the insurance. If you are in the Port Orange area, look at the possibility of contacting Vision H.R. to help handle not only your payroll, but also your workman’s compensation coverage.
