What is workers compensation?
Workers’ compensation is a state-mandated insurance program that provides compensation to employees who suffer job-related injuries and illnesses. While the federal government administers a workers’ comp program for federal and certain other types of employees, each state has its own laws and programs for workers’ compensation. For up-to-date information on workers’ comp in your state, contact your state’s workers’ compensation office. (You can find links to the appropriate office in your state on the State Workers’ Compensation Officials page of the U.S. Department of Labor’s website.) In general, an employee with a work-related illness or injury can get workers’ compensation benefits regardless of who was at fault — the employee, the employer, a coworker, a customer, or some other third party. In exchange for these guaranteed benefits, employees usually do not have the right to sue the employer in court for damages for those injuries.
Workers’ Compensation is an employer-paid benefit that provides you with medical, compensation, and vocational rehabilitation benefits if you are injured on the job or become ill because of your work. Workers’ Compensation provides your dependents with a death benefit in the unlikely event that you die because of an injury or illness that results from your work for the University.
The Workers’ Compensation Act is a set of laws administered by a state agency, known as the State Board of Workers’ Compensation. The Board governs what workers, employers and insurance companies are supposed to do when a worker is injured on the job or gets a disease caused by the job. It is usually called “workers’ comp.” With very few exceptions, workers’ comp applies if your employer has three or more employees when you are working there. The Workers’ Compensation Act requires that employers provide two kinds of benefits to the injured employee, at no cost to the employee. The first needed benefit is the medical benefit. The second (and equally important) benefit is the income benefit. Income benefits must be paid if an employee is off work due to the work-related injury. The law covers full time, part time, and temporary employees.
A. Workers compensation is an accident insurance program paid by your employer which may provide you with medical, rehabilitation and income benefits if you are injured on the job. These benefits are provided to help you return to work. It also provides benefits to your dependents if you die as the result of a job-related injury.
Workers’ Compensation is a compromise program set up in each state where an employee gives up his or her right to sue his employer when he or she is injured at work and where an employer agrees to take care of an employee who is injured at work and is protected from being sued in civil court for negligence.
