The Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act compensates for your medical expenses and — if you are unable to work — wage-loss payments until you are able to return to work if you experience a job-related accident or sickness. In addition, your dependent survivors receive death benefits for fatalities at work.
Private insurance providers (including third-party administrators), the State Workers' Insurance Fund (a state-run workers' compensation insurance carrier), or self-insured employers pay benefits.
It is crucial to protect your Pennsylvania employees from injury in the workplace. In fact, practically every business with employees in the United States needs workers' compensation insurance.
However, certain companies in Pennsylvania are exempted from providing workers' compensation insurance. These exemptions from workers' comp include:
Pennsylvania workers' compensation insurance benefits both you and your employees. It gives benefits to your employees if they become unwell or injured due to their work. It can also give payouts to the beneficiaries of an employee who dies for work-related reasons.
If an employee suffers from a work-related accident or illness, they must notify you within 120 days. Then, you can file a claim with your insurance provider.
Workers' compensation insurance in Pennsylvania covers:
Workers' compensation in Pennsylvania provides a number of benefits to employees who have sustained a work-related injury or illness, such as:
| Health Care Expenses | This includes surgery, physician visits, medication, medical equipment, and laboratory tests |
| Ongoing Care Expenses | For services such as physical therapy and rehabilitation |
| Partial Disability Payments | For personnel who cannot work at full capacity |
| Death Benefits | For an employee's family, if he or she dies within 300 weeks of a work-related injury or sickness |
| Total Disability Payments | For employees who are completely unable to return to work |
| Permanent Injury Payments | May serve as a compensation for a lost body part |
After experiencing a work-related injury or illness, your employees can receive a weekly compensation to cover their medical expenses and missed wages under the PA Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Workers' compensation permits you to pay benefits to your employees while shielding you from legal action.
Your employees are covered by workers' compensation for the duration of their employment. This means that coverage begins on the employee's first day of employment, regardless of their previous physical condition.
