If an employee comes to your with a workers’ compensation claim, you should always take it seriously. Failing to do so could result in problems for you.
Yet you also need to be aware that not everyone is honest. Some may try to get you to file a workers’ compensation claim for injuries that are nothing to do with you.
Here are some questions to consider (though you might not want to ask them directly to the employee just yet):
Do they work another job?
Many people work two or more jobs to make ends meet. While they could have injured their back moving their desk in your office as they claim, if their other job involves a lot of heavy lifting, it’s more likely the damage occurred there.
Do they play sports?
A repetitive strain injury may be down to typing at the computer for you. Yet, if you know they’re a keen tennis or baseball player, there’s a good job that’s what led to the wrist damage.
Did they already have the injury before they started working for you?
Workplace injuries can affect people for the rest of their life. Consider their work history. If they suddenly left a previous job or made a drastic career change, it might be because an injury prevented them from continuing.
You may still need to process an employee’s injury claim even if an injury first occurred elsewhere, provided that they aggravated it working for you. But it’s important to cover your share, not the damage they already had.
Seek legal help if you are unsure about the validity of an employee’s workers’ compensation claim.
