Every job comes with different expectations. A physician working at a primary care office may need to see a certain number of patients per day and meet certain charting turnaround time standards. Manufacturing employees often have to produce a set number of units per hour or minimize production downtime.
Small mistakes at work can endanger a worker’s continued employment in some cases. Other times, those mistakes could cause serious injuries. Trying to go faster than is safe or rushing through a space could lead to workers hurting themselves through overexertion, timing errors or falls. Can performance issues or mistakes on the job prevent employees from seeking workers’ compensation benefits?
Employees have a right to no-fault protection
Eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits does not depend on fault. An employee hurt on the production line does not need to prove that the employer violated safety standards or that a coworker made a mistake. They are eligible for benefits even if they get hurt due to an error for which they are at fault.
In cases where employers can show that workers caused an incident that left them hurt, they typically can still apply for medical benefits and disability coverage. Unless there is proof that a worker hurt themselves on purpose, injured themselves by breaking the law, hurt themselves due to a direct violation of company policy or got hurt due to intoxication on the job, fault generally does not affect eligibility for benefits or the amount of coverage that a worker receives.
Employers who take issue with a worker’s job performance or mistakes might try to fight a workers’ compensation claim. Securing support when preparing for a potentially contentious claims process can help injured workers secure the benefits they need.
