Workplace injuries are a major obstacle to professional productivity in Ocean County. For this reason, most would assume that any and all local companies would want to ensure that they have every available resource in place to not only protect their staffs from such injuries, but also to ensure that those who do suffer them have all of the assistance needed to facilitate a speedy recovery and return to work. One such form of assistance is workers’ compensation coverage. This assumption is why those who learn that their employers may not offer such a benefit are so surprised to learn of that fact.
Company representatives might tell injured employees that they are not required by law to carry workers’ compensation coverage. One should know that such an assertion is incorrect. While some states do exempt certain types of employers from coverage requirements, The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development that any employer not already covered by a federal benefit program must carry workers’ compensation insurance. That coverage may come through the state’s own Workers’ Compensation Insurance Policy or through a state-approved form of self insurance.
With the U.S. Department of Labor reporting that over $17.6 million has already been paid on workers’ compensation claims in 2018 in New Jersey alone, one would think that employers would recognize the overwhelming need to have such protection in place. State law makes all aspect of an uninsured company liable in the event of aa workplace injury (including corporate officers and partners). Plus, the state allows liens to be placed on assets belonging to an uninsured company’s partners and officers to help secure workers awards and penalties. All of this comes on top of the fees the state assesses for not meeting its workers’ compensation requirements.