• Home
• Sample Assignments
• Worker compensation programs

Worker compensation programs

Introduction

• Worker compensation programs enable a company to cater for medical and financial needs of an affected employee.
• Supervisors should be conversant with the scheme.
• Different coverages are regulated by common and statutory laws.
• The supervisor should record and report any incidences.
• A manager should be aware of worker compensation schemes. 

Supervisors should be familiar with the plan since they act as the first point of response and reference. The covers are regulated by common and statutory laws which determine the rights of the worker and the employer. Mostly, he manager should be aware of the scheme since they record and report the same to the concerned agency.

Supervisor’s Role

• Worker compensation laws - important
• The supervisor should be familiar with the regulations (“Supervisors and Managers,” n.d.).

Conversant with compensation laws supervisor

• Prevents litigation
• Is tasked with processing an injured worker
• Worker compensation packages require employees to relinquish right to sue.
• The caveat is designed to limit bankruptcy suits.
• The staff maintain specific rights.
• The supervisor should help subordinates (“Supervisors and Managers,” n.d.).

The supervisor should be conversant with the rights of both the employer and the employee to avoid jeopardizing any aspect of the compensation laws. The supervisor should be cognizant of the laws to avoid hefty payouts. The supervisor should process an injured staff according to the law, which eliminates the possibility of lawsuits in court.

The process executed immediately after an accident is vital in determining the compensation package a worker will receive, which should be mastered by supervisors. Normally, an employee is required to relinquish their right to sue in case of injury at the workplace. The worker maintain certain rights that include the right to sue. The manager should be able to help their juniors in claim processing at the initial stages by highlighting their rights

The supervisor should

• Be familiar with national laws
• Ensure the compensation program is effected according to state laws
• Know whom to contact in case of an injury
• Be cognizant of the compensation program in a firm

Overall, the supervisor will act as a reference point in the compensation process to corroborate any claims by the affected worker or group. The supervisor should be familiar with laws on worker compensation to ensure the organization adheres to the rules. Equally, the manager should be familiar with state laws. The manager should know whom to contact in case of an incident. The manager should be cognizant of compensation laws in a company since it will enable the supervisor facilitate investigation in a case.

Types of Coverage

• Different covers exist in employee compensation packages.
• The company should provide the appropriate
  •   Environment
  •   Tool
  •   Training
• Distinct laws are used to regulate the compensation program.
• The laws ascertain the culpability of the employer.
• The employer must ensure that a worker is catered for in case of an accident.

Covers are regulated by specific elements that include common law. The employers must ensure their workers are catered for in case of an accident. The provision of the right environment, tools, and training is critical in worker compensation.

Statutory Laws

• Limit the right of workers to seek compensation
• Stipulate that workers may receive monetary compensation in case of an accident
• The framework is mandatory but employees waive their right to sue their employers.

The statutory element is another vital element in compensation packages.

The regulations are designed to minimize the likelihood of bankruptcy due to numerous cases. However, the regulation is defined by specific jurisdictions, which refine the same according to local realities. The law is mandatory, but workers relinquish their right to sue in exchange for elimination of tort in the subsequent cases. The law is exhaustive and ensures that the facility is extended to their dependents in the event of death.

Payment Plan

• The covers
  • Divided into several payment plans
  • May be monthly in replacement of salaries
  • May be in the form of a single payout
• General damages may be awarded to an employee.
• The medical bills of the affected individual may be footed by the company .

The cover is divided into several tiers which include weekly disbursement in substitute of wages. The payment may also be in the form of a single payout that is paid by the insurance firm contracted. The general damages may be paid to a worker to cover for various aspects that include pain or loss of income.

Record Keeping

• Record keeping
  • important in compensation packages.
  • regulated by OSHA.
  • should be aligned with OSHA requirements (Gordon, n.d.)
• The company must maintain its own systems in worker compensation programs.
• Federal requirement
• Used to process the terminal benefits of a worker (Gordon, n.d.)
• Determined by type of injury sustained
• The firm must comply with federal and state laws regarding the record keeping.

The period required for keeping the data is dependent on particular states, but the period should be more than 10 years.

The record keeping practice is designed to ensure workers or employers are not disadvantaged through the process since the information can be verified in case of disputes. The practice of recording keeping is important since they act as reference points in case of an injury. The process should be regulated in line with OSHA rules that range from lost time to type of treatment offered in the package.

The record keeping practice is a federal requirement where firms are expected to report any incidences, which can only be captured through stored information. The documents are used to process the benefits of a worker which requires meticulous storage to avoid jeopardizing any party. The type of injury determines the record keeping approach which means that some conditions might be captured for short time while other may last for a longer period.

Reporting Requirements

Compensation packages is an important element that employers are expected to comply with in line with OSHA laws by capturing the incidence on the OSHA 300 log.  Failure to report the injury may result in fines, which should not exceed $70,000. The firm must use a set criteria for example, the incidence should have happened in the country.

Conclusion

• Worker compensation programs - statutory requirement.
• The supervisor should be able to address critical issues concerning the schemes.
• Different coverages exist that are guided by either common law or statutory rules.
• A company should maintain records and report the same in accordance with OSHA laws.
• A supervisor should be familiar with worker compensation packages. 

References

• Supervisors and managers: Workers' compensation guide. (n.d.). Channel Islands. Retrieved from https://www.csuci.edu/hr/supervisorswcguide.htm
• Gordon, J. (n.d.). What makes a worker's compensation injury OSHA reportable? Chron. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/workers-compensation-injury-osha-reportable-81991.html