Executive Summary
Injuries are inevitable. At some point in your professional life, you are most likely going to suffer an injury that will prevent your from going about your daily routine. Whether it’s a broke hand or a concussion, missing an extended amount of time at work due to an injury can have a serious impact on your life. The adoption of Workers Compensation programs in the early 20th century allowed for peace of mind amongst the population, but this peace of mind has been on a downfall according to a 2015 study.
Introduction
Whether you are working in a construction zone or in a typical American office space, It is crucial to understand what Workers Compensation is and how it works. Workers compensation policy is something that almost everyone has an idea about, but most people don’t really know what injuries are covered by Workman’s Compensation or what constitutes receiving Workers Compensation. Unless you are living off your 50 million dollar lottery winnings or benefiting off a large inheritance from your parents, you have a main source of income and missing work could result in a late mortgage payment or not being able to pay your phone bill. The goals of my research were to uncover what how worker’s compensation works on a very basic level that the average employee could understand and some statistics about the decline of Worker’s compensation in present day America.
Approaches and Results
According to the Social Security Office, Workers Compensation programs are programs that are designed to, “provide the payment of lost wages, medical treatment, and rehabilitation services to workers suffering from an occupational injury or disease.” Each Workers Compensation program is regulated by the state governments and were adopted and implemented in the early 20th century. Therefore, different states will have different requirements and other stipulations that warrant receiving Workers compensation or what benefits you will receive if you qualify for Workers Compensation. With that being said, when researching workmens compensation, it’s important to look for information regarding your own State’s policies revolving around Workers comp because not all states provide the same coverage.
This discrepancy between States Workers Compensation policies is one of the factors leading towards the deterioration of Workers Compensation in the United States that is described in Jessica Schneider’s article in the Center for Effective Government article. Schneider points out that the national average maximum compensation for arm injuries in the United States is $168,878, but in Alaska, the maximum is only $106,200. Schneider also provides other statistics like that the amount the employers pay into workers compensation programs are at a historic low point and that workers compensation is only 44 cents out of the roughly $30 that employers spend on workers per hour. These statistics show us that Workers Compensation is slowly falling by the way side to employers in exchange for more profits. If this current trend continues, any future work-related injury could send you into spiraling debt because “there isn’t enough money in the budget” to provide you with benefits due to your injury.
Conclusion
Workers Compensation is slowly deteriorating which is a real problem for everyone who isn’t lucky enough to win the lottery. Not only has it become unequal from state to state, but employers are slowly putting less money to Workers Compensation programs that leave employees responsible for paying for their work-related injuries. If there is nothing done to combat the current downward trend in support for Workers Compensation programs, there is a strong possibility that your next injury could result in massive debt because your employer has decided to spend less money on Workers Compensation to increase their profit margins.
Implications and Recommendation
My best recommendation to readers is to educate yourself about your State’s workers compensation laws and programs. As stated earlier, all 50 states have a completely different workers comp program and benefits, and your injury may not be equally covered. You should also talk to your employer and fellow employees to better understand the workers compensation benefits provided through your employer’s. Workers Compensation has been on a decline because most people think that injuries are rare and it won’t happen to them. Educating yourself and your peers about Workers compensation could lead to a more equal system and better protection for all of us.