New York Workers' Compensation Blog For Small Business Owners

Small businesses often seem like small boats. They are light protection from the stormy seas of business, and people in them can end up feeling very much alone. But small businesses are never alone. They are part of a big system, and there is often as much help and support as there is competition.

Businesses with a small or medium number of employees may find themselves in a tricky position while trying to support the people who work for them. Costs like workers' compensation insurance and labor regulation compliance can take a heavy toll on small operating budgets.

Workers' compensation is a vital guarantee for employees that helps keep workplaces safe. However, the details of the insurance and other requirements to offer the payments if a worker is injured on the job have been the bane of many business owners.

Payouts are on the rise in New York, according to a recent study of workers' compensation claims. Benefits per claim increased between 7 and 9 percent from 2007 to 2014, with a smaller rise before reforms to the relevant laws in 2007.

Administrative work in any organization has the propensity to be mundane and if not managed properly, can be a massive waste of critical resources including time and money. Businesses in New York who optimize administrative processes to provide support and meaning to their organization may find that their efforts are more productive and valuable in the long run. 

While administrative tasks may vary depending on the industry a company operates in, the products or services they provide and the level of experience of the people they have hired to perform such duties, most administrative work is similar across the board. Tasks may include facilitating communication between departments, organizing and managing customer information, generating detailed reports for departmental review and coordinating logistical requirements for various meetings. 

Many in Troy might assume that employers approve any and all workers’ compensation claims in an effort to remain in their employees’ good graces. Yet what is overlooked in this assumption is the fact that companies pay for their workers’ compensation coverage, and an abundance of claims can impact the rates they pay. Thus, it is in their best interest to encourage the investigation of claims to ensure that the cause of their employees’ injuries are indeed work-related.

If it is determined that they are not, then benefit providers may feel justified in denying claims. Claimants can object to this, but if the denial is legitimate, such objections are likely to be struck down in court. That is exactly what happened in the case of a New York City police officer. The woman’s job as an evidence control specialist required that she store and retrieve items submitted as evidence. She eventually began to develop pain in her arm, elbow and wrist and claimed that this was due to the repetitive motion and heavy lifting that her job required her to do. However, her subsequent workers’ compensation claim was denied.