New York is one of 39 states that require virtually every employer to offer workers’ compensation coverage. It doesn’t matter if a company has a single employee or multiple employees. All individuals who work for a business must be covered by this insurance unless they perform certain types of work or are classified in a particular way.
Most states don’t require individuals who employ housekeepers and other domestic servants to take out workers’ compensation coverage to pay for their medical costs if they get hurt on the job.
Employers often don’t have to take out workers’ compensation coverage to give a commissioned real estate agent a way to pay for their medical expenses either.
Farmhands or ranch and agricultural workers aren’t often classified as “employees,” and therefore, aren’t entitled to workers’ compensation coverage if they’re injured on the job.
Other types of workers that may be precluded from receiving workers’ compensation benefits depending on the jurisdiction include athletes and referees, cab drivers, clergy members, individuals who work in direct sales and musicians. Those persons who form part of a volunteer ski patrol or a corporate or nonprofit board may also be ineligible for workers’ compensation benefits. So too many individuals who resell newspapers.
Workers’ compensation laws often change. A worker that is covered by such insurance one day may not be the next. It’s also possible that you may have to take out workers’ compensation coverage if you have a certain amount of employees in one jurisdiction but for you not to have to do so in another.
There are hefty penalties that may be assessed if you don’t abide by the law and take out workers’ compensation coverage. If an employee gets hurt and you don’t have the required insurance in place, then you can find your company financially ruined. An attorney can help you determine whether your Troy company is required to take out this type of insurance and defend your case here in New York if you didn’t have it and an employee got hurt.
