Are Part-Time Workers Eligible for Workers’ Compensation?

Are Part-Time Workers Eligible for Workers' Compensation?

Many individuals today work one or more part-time jobs. We all know an injury can occur at any time, whether you’re a full-time or part-time employee. In fact, part-time employees may be at an increased risk of injury. As a result, part-time workers should know if they’re eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.

Here’s the good news: with rare exceptions, the State of Ohio requires employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Anyone legally considered an employee (rather an than independent contractor) is eligible to receive benefits. While the benefits aren’t as substantial as they would be for full-time employees, part-time employees are still covered if injured on the job.

How the BWC determines part-time workers’ compensation

The objective of workers’ compensation insurance is to cover medical bills and lost income when an employee is injured during the performance of their job. The process of qualifying for workers’ compensation benefits for a part-time employee is largely the same as it is for a full-time employee.

If you become injured while performing your part-time job, you must seek medical attention and file a claim with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC). Once your claim is received, the BWC will review it and your medical medical records. If you’re approved, you’ll receive workers’ compensation benefits.

Part-time compensation is dependent on the number of hours you work per week. If an employee has more than one part-time job at the time of the injury, the BWC will calculate the employee’s wage using the wages from all of the employee’s jobs.

After the BWC calculates your average hours worked per week, they’ll use a specific formula to assess how much compensation you are eligible to receive.  Compensation is typically higher for full-time employees who make the same wage.

The policy behind part-time benefits

Providing workers’ compensation benefits for part-time employees is a matter of public policy. This is not only fair, but part-time employees may be more at risk for on-the-job injuries and illness because part-time workers may not receive the same amount safety training as their full-time counterparts. Additionally, part-time workers may not be supervised as well as full-time workers. Risk of injury also increases because many part-time employees work multiple jobs, and are fatigued. This creates a “perfect storm” for on-the-job injury.

If you’ve been injured while performing your part-time job, don’t hesitate to file a workers’ compensation claim. The highly experienced workers’ compensation attorneys at Dworken & Bernstein can help. Call us today for assistance with your claim.

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