Do Seasonal Workers Get Workers’ Compensation Benefits in NE?
Temporary and seasonal workers in Nebraska have the right to file workers’ compensation claims for work-related injuries, but independent contractors do not.
Another holiday season is approaching, and in a society where less than half of the population has an extra $400 to cover an emergency expense, people are scrambling to find money for the holiday celebrations they missed out on last year during the pandemic. ‘Tis the season to supplement your income with a second job. Ashley takes a temporary job stocking the shelves at Bath and Body Works, and while the Black Friday sales are in full swing and she is getting boxes of lotion down from an upper shelf in the back room, she falls from a ladder and gets injured. Brittany advertises her holiday baking skills on Facebook and bakes cakes to order, delivering them directly to customers. On her way back to her car after delivering a cake to a customer, she trips and falls in the parking lot of the customer’s apartment complex and gets injured. Only one of these two enterprising women is eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. To find out more about how workers’ compensation benefits apply to your yuletide income generating activities, contact the Omaha workers’ compensation lawyers at Andres Law Offices, PC LLO.
Workers’ Comp is for All Employees, Even Temporary Ones
Employers in Nebraska must carry workers’ compensation insurance to cover the medical expenses of employees who get injured in the workplace. This way, instead of both parties having to spend lots of money on a lawsuit, the employer simply assumes responsibility for the costs of work injuries without having to admit to negligence. The good news is that workers’ comp benefits are not only for unionized jobs or even full-time, permanent jobs with year-long employment contracts. Temporary, seasonal, and part-time employees are covered, even if they are too young to vote or old enough to draw Social Security benefits.
Independent Contractors are Not Eligible for Workers’ Comp
Unfortunately for the millions of people whose income comes from independent contractor gigs, independent contractors are not eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Other people who cannot claim workers’ comp are self-employed people, volunteer workers, agricultural workers, and domestic workers such as house cleaners and in-home babysitters.
This is why employer misclassification is such a big problem. Plenty of folks who do the same work as employees get paid as independent contractors just because this classification is less expensive for their employers in terms of taxes and workers’ compensation insurance. If your employer has classified you as an independent contractor, but you get injured at work, a workers’ compensation lawyer can help.
Contact Andres Law Offices, PC LLO About Work Injuries at Seasonal Jobs
Employees who are working in a new environment are even more vulnerable to accidental injuries than those who have been at the same workplace for a long time. An Omaha workers’ compensation lawyer can help you if you sustained a work injury at a seasonal job. Contact Andres Law Offices, PC LLO in Omaha, Nebraska about your case.