When employees in Ohio get injured on the job they probably expect to receive workers' compensation benefits to pay for lost wages, medical expenses and other damages. But, according to recent trends, employers aren't paying for as much as they did in the past and are overwhelmingly shifting the costs to the injured employees and taxpayers. In fact, employers on average pay only 20 percent of the cost, with others paying the rest. There are certain reasons for this trend and how this affects workers' compensation benefits.
There are several main factors contributing to this cost shift. First of all, medical costs are constantly skyrocketing, making it harder for benefits to fully cover them. This means that injured employees are being forced to pay for these expenses out of pocket. In addition, less than half of workers receive any kind of workers' compensation benefits. This is because many workplace injuries go unreported. Employees fail to report injuries for fear of retaliation. When they do report them, employers fear the punishment for not carrying coverage and may offer incentives for employees to keep quiet.
Another common practice is misclassification of employees. Certain employees, such as independent contractors and freelancers, don't qualify for workers' compensation, so employers sometimes put workers in these categories to prevent having to buy insurance coverage.
Workplace injuries can carry a lifetime of physical, emotional and financial effects. Many employers find a way to get around paying insurance for their workers and as a result, have no incentive to make workplaces safer. This makes worksites hazardous, which can ultimately cause more accidents to occur.
Source: Houston Chronicle, "Workers comp fails injured workers, Labor Dept. says," L.M. Sixel, April 29, 2015
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