How Much Work Must You Miss to Qualify for Workers’ Comp?
In the US, there is a system designed to compensate any employees who are injured while working. This system is called “workers’ compensation.” Despite the simple qualification requirements, many people wonder if they qualify for workers’ comp. In fact, there is a lot about workers’ comp that the average person does not know. A common question is how much work you have to miss in order to qualify for workers’ comp. This guide will answer this question and explain the qualifications for workers’ comp.
How Much Missed Work
The idea of having to miss a certain amount of work in order to qualify for workers’ comp is inherently flawed. It turns out that the amount of work missed due to the injury does not factor into qualifying for workers’ comp at all. Even if you are able to go back to work the very same day as the injury, you can still qualify for workers’ comp.
Workers’ Comp Qualifications
So if the amount of work missed does not affect qualifying for workers’ comp, what are the requirements? There are two factors that affect whether or not an injury qualifies for workers’ comp. These are:
- The type of employment
- The cause of the injury
First, only certain types of workers qualify for workers’ comp. Specifically, you must be an employee to receive benefits. The easiest way to tell if you are an employee, rather than a volunteer, independent contractor, or freelance worker, is to check your paychecks. If you have a portion of your paycheck withheld for tax purposes, then you are an employee.
Second, only certain types of injuries qualify for workers’ comp. To qualify, an injury must be work-related. This means that the injury had to be the result of doing work. To put it another way, the actions that led to the injury must have been taken to benefit the company you work for. Simply being injured while at work is not enough.
For example, if you trip and fall while on break, that injury would not be covered. On the other hand, if you are unloading heavy packages from a truck and hurt your back, that would be considered a work-related injury. While injuries are usually very obviously either work-related or not work-related, sometimes it can be difficult to tell. If you are unsure, it may be a good idea to consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer, like a workers’ compensation lawyer in Wytheville, VA. You can get more information about the specific workers’ comp laws for your state then as well.
Thanks to The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt for their insight into how much work you need to miss to qualify for workers’ compensation.
