Getting hurt on the job can unleash a host of negative effects on the work accident victim. There are physical ailments, possibly broken bones, burns, head injuries or more, and then there are the mounting medical expenses. In addition, there is the frustration of not understanding the workers’ compensation system and wondering what to do next. A Massachusetts workers’ comp attorney can aid a work accident victim in getting back on their feet after a work-related injury.
One of the many questions that both workers and their employers are likely to have about Massachusetts workers’ compensation benefits is how to alter the worker’s paycheck to reflect the incident. It may be helpful to know that if a Massachusetts employee gets hurt at work and has to leave their job, their employer is not required to pay that individual for the entire day worked. However, state law does require that the employer pay that person for the hours he or she actually worked that day.
When the employer pays the injured worker for the hours actually worked on the date of the accident, that date is considered the initial calendar date of disability. An employer may opt to pay the injured worker for the whole day regarding the date of their injury; if this is the case, the following day will serve as the first calendar day of disability.
It is vitally important for injured workers to know they have rights under the law. Unscrupulous employers do exist and may try to avoid paying disabled workers the wages or workers’ compensation benefits to which they are entitled. Seeking out qualified legal advice is one way that injured workers can fully understand their rights and their employers’ responsibilities. A workplace injury accident might be painful, draining and confusing, but it doesn’t have to mean that a worker has to go without the benefits they deserve.
Source: Mass.gov, “Employer’s frequently asked questions about workers’ compensation,” accessed Oct. 16, 2015
