What Do You Do To Minimize Workers Comp Claim Exposure?

Question

I had an employee that was with me for maybe 5 weeks that I was going to let go (wasn't meshing well with the team, not very coachable) and then he "pulled his back" on a job site picking something up incorrectly. He even said he went to pick up a heavy object sideways and with one arm. He's been on workers comp 10 months and between treatment and his compensation, the claim is over $100k! My company is in California so we probably have the least favorable laws for companies.&nbsp;
My insurance guy said we did everything right. Sent him to a facility right away to be evaluated, called workers comp. Since then we have implemented a "buddy lifting" training. My insurance guy also told me that even if we documented that he has a history of doing things incorrectly, that he would still be in the workers comp system.&nbsp;
So my question to you guys - what measures do you take to prevent something like this from happening? Do you have regular safety meetings? Trainings? What do those look like?

mmill93 · Answer

One thing you can do is just completely do away with workers comp and make all your employees their own boss essentially they can carry their own liability insurance you can even pay for it for the year for them. Then technically they’re their own company you 1099 them, they can pay their own taxes get right offs etc. you can still treat them like employees and do all the good stuff work parties trips etc. bonuses. But workers comp is just ridiculous you save the money pay a few bucks for the guys insurance but it’s a little loop hole I learned from an older guy in the industry&nbsp;

merryhvac · Answer

Mmill93, going this route of eliminating worker's comp, how do satisfy that this is a mandatory requirement by some clients, particularly governmental agencies, bank and municipalities?

mmill93 · Answer

If you’re a subcontractor that has no employees, some states allow them to provide a workers comp exemption or waiver, but requirements vary by state and by contract. But also if you’re on one of them job and each contractor or sub is carry their own you eliminate the false claims of guys getting hurt on the job.&nbsp;

teig_cl8ne · Answer

That's the only bad part is there are people out there that will get jobs and they play with the system so to speak so the small businesses are the ones who suffer. I would talk to a lawyer and just ask what the laws are regarding this considering he admitted to doing it wrong.&nbsp;

teig_cl8ne · Answer

I also think during their initial training you should have a safety training attached to it whether it's a video they have to watch or you walk them through step by step of how to lift things what to do if something happens the buddy system etc

Forum Discussion

What Do You Do To Minimize Workers Comp Claim Exposure?

7 Replies