Study Shows Low-Wage Workers Pressured Not to File For Workers' Comp
Low-wage workers who are hurt on the job are routinely pressured not to file for the workers' compensation to which they are legally entitled.


December 05, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Study Shows Low-Wage Workers Pressured Not to File For Workers' Comp

Article provided by Grossinger Gordon Vatz, L.L.P.
Visit us at www.ggvlaw.com

Low-wage workers who are hurt on the job are routinely pressured not to file for the workers' compensation to which they are legally entitled. That's the finding of a recent study conducted by the National Employment Law Project, UCLA and the University of Illinois.

Researchers said they found that many employment and labor laws are regularly and systematically violated by employers.

The 2009 study found that only eight percent of low-wage workers who experienced a serious injury on the job filed a workers' compensation claim.

When injured employees told their employers about their injuries, 50 percent said they experienced what researchers call an illegal reaction: being fired, having immigration authorities called on undocumented workers or being told not to file for workers' compensation.

One third of the employees injured at work wound up paying their bills themselves and another 22 percent used their health insurance to pay their medical expenses.

Workers' compensation paid the medical expenses for a mere six percent of the employees who suffered workplace injuries.

The study was of 4,387 workers in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

Here in Pennsylvania, the Department of Labor and Industry says virtually every employee is covered by workers' compensation for injuries sustained on the job and for illnesses caused by your work. Your medical expenses are usually covered and you are also typically entitled to a percentage of your pay until you are able to return to your job after recuperating.

You are covered by workers' compensation insurance from the day you're hired.

Experts say if you are being denied deserved benefits by an employer, or if you have been told by your employer not to file a workers' compensation claim, you should speak to a qualified workers' compensation and employment attorney.

Article provided by Grossinger Gordon Vatz, L.L.P.
Visit us at www.ggvlaw.com

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