When workers in Michigan become injured on the job, they may worry about how they will care for themselves and their family. This is not limited to workers with blue collar jobs either. Even corporate workers may become ill from chemicals used in the workplace or in a lab. They may also become injured after a slip-and-fall accident.
According to Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, compensation depends on the length of time it takes to recover from the injury. If a worker returns to work in less than a week, they may receive no compensation for their injuries. If the injury lasts for more than a week, then benefits typically begin on the eighth day. Benefits may continue for the rest of the disability and may last for the person’s lifetime. However, employers may reduce benefits after a person turns 65 years old.
Many workers in Michigan may worry about not obtaining compensation if they are at fault. Maybe they did not follow safety procedures or did not wear the appropriate gear. However, the LARA states that Michigan has a no-fault system in place. Workers can also expect to receive medical treatment during their disability, which may be funded by the employer’s insurance carrier.
A common misconception among employees is that they pay for workers’ compensation. This idea is false. Workers pay no taxes or fees that feed into a fund for workers’ compensation, the way they do for Social Security Disability. Employers fund workers’ compensation benefits by purchasing commercial insurance, pooling with other companies in the industry or creating their own independent fund.
Note that workers do not receive their full paychecks after an injury. Instead, they may receive 80% of their average weekly net pay. The average weekly pay is based on the average of the highest-earning 39 of the past 52 weeks. Sometimes fringe benefits are included in the calculation. While most workers’ compensation cases are settled amicably, it is possible to seek an appeal via the Court of Appeals and then the Supreme Court.
