No matter how small or big an organisation is, it grows because of its employees. Indeed, the workforce is its lifeblood, and the employer needs to take good care of them all during office hours. Uncertainty does not come knocking at the front door usually.
If you own a company, no matter big or small, you are expected to pay for the expenses related to injuries that happen to your employees during work hours. The worst-case scenarios can even create legal issues for your business and create a need for a high compensation amount to be paid.
It is imperative that you buy the workmen compensation policy as per the Workmen’s Compensation Act 1923. There are a few situations in which this policy can be of great help, as described below:
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Injuries Caused to Employees at the Workplace
You cannot ignore the fact that injuries can happen to your workers at any point in time. As per rules laid by the Ministry of Labour, you must provide compensation to the employees, depending on the nature of the injury. However, you can avoid doing this by having an active workmen compensation policy.
The policy will cover compensation liability to the workers for bodily injury arising out of the work done during employment. Furthermore, it can be extended to cover medical expenses.
Event of Death or Disability
People employed in factories, construction sites, and similar occupations are at higher risk of bodily injuries. In some cases, accidents at work can lead to the death of a worker or cause partial or permanent disability. In the eyes of workers, the employer is accountable for providing compensation to the victim of such an accident.
As an employer, you can avoid facing the expensive consequences of a workplace accident by buying workmen’s compensation insurance. As per the policy guidelines, the insurer will be liable to compensate for the losses that occurred.
Lawsuits Filed by The Victims or Their Families
Workplace accidents often lead to lawsuits against employers. The victims or their families can file legal cases against the organisation and file defamation proceedings against them in court. If this happens, the legal procedures turn out to be time-consuming, and you will need to hire a lawyer to represent you in the courts.
All this can be avoided when you have a workmen’s compensation policy. The other party will get the expected compensation as per the policy norms, and that eliminates the need to file a lawsuit.
Important Tips Related to Workmen’s Compensation
- You should hand out a clearly written document to all your employees that tells them how to maintain safety when at work.
- The workforce should be appropriately trained to do their jobs.
- You should be truthful about the risks involved at work to the employees hired in your organisation. Otherwise, the authorities may cancel your policy or even penalise for sharing the wrong facts.
- Make sure you invest a certain amount of money in providing workplace safety training to all your employees. It will help them realise the importance of safety when at work.
Do All Businesses Need Workmen’s Compensation Insurance?
No matter if you have ten, fifty or hundreds of employees hired in your company, you need to buy a workmen compensation policy. This helps you avoid the possibility of paying for medical treatment bills or lost wages to an injured employee with this policy.
Since buying workmen compensation insurance is mandatory by law for all employers, not buying it may cause trouble for your company.
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