Workers’ compensation benefits are available for people who are injured or become ill because of their job. Since the money is in response to an issue at work, you might worry that workers’ comp comes out of your paycheck. The benefits don’t come out of your paycheck, but if the injury means you can’t work your regular job your paycheck may still be reduced. Let’s break it down.
How Workers’ Comp Works
Every company in Virginia is required to pay for workers’ compensation insurance from a reputable insurance agency. Just like how you pay for car insurance, which will cover the costs if you get into a car accident so you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars, workers’ compensation insurance will cover the costs if you’re hurt at work so your employer doesn’t have to pay.
After you file a workers’ comp claim, your job’s workers’ compensation insurance agency will approve or deny your claim. The insurance agency is involved during your overall claims process and will be the organization sending payment for your medical bills and your disability benefits. Your job doesn’t send the money directly to you: the insurance agency handles all of it for them.
Since your job pays for workers’ compensation insurance for all employees, your workers’ comp claim does not come out of your paycheck. The insurance company pays for your workers’ compensation benefits.
Your Paycheck and Workers’ Comp
Your paycheck may be reduced after you file a workers’ compensation claim if you are unable to do your regular job due to the injury or illness that you received at work. For example, if you break your leg and are unable to do your regular construction job while you’re in a cast and on crutches, you may be given a lower-paid job at your company, or you may not be allowed to work at all while you heal.
In these cases, the same injury or illness is reducing your paycheck and causing you to file for workers’ comp, but the workers’ comp is not the cause for the reduced paycheck.
If you are making less money after your injury at your job, or are unable to work, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits to help make up for the lower paycheck. You will still get your entire paycheck for whatever work your doctor says you are allowed to do, and you can also get some money.
To summarize:
1. Workers’ compensation benefits do not come out of your paycheck. The workers’ comp insurance company that your employer is insured by pays those benefits.
2. Your injury at work may cause you to have a reduced paycheck if you can’t work your regular job after the accident where you were hurt. You may be able to get workers’ comp benefits to help offset the reduced paycheck.