When a Florida employee experiences an injury on the job, he or she has the right to purse benefits through a workers’ compensation claim. Most employers are required to carry this type of insurance, and injured or sick workers can seek coverage of lost wages, medical bills and other needs in the event of a workplace accident. Unfortunately, some employers do not want workers to file a claim unless the injury is severe or disabling, and injured employees may experience retaliation.
Retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim can come in many forms. An employee can be terminated, or he or she may experience other types of retaliatory treatment, such as harassment, demotion, being overlooked for a deserved promotion and more. An employer may do this to create an environment of intimidation, discouraging other employees from filing claims in the future.
Employers may actively discourage employees from filing claims or terminate those who do because the cost of workers’ comp insurance increases with each claim. Employer retaliation cases can be complex, and a thorough investigation may be required to determine what happened. An employer may create seemingly valid reasons to terminate a worker’s employment when in reality it is simply a matter of retaliation.
It is not easy for a Florida worker to build a case against an employer. This is why it is helpful to work with with an experienced attorney as soon as possible after termination or other harassing behavior. With the right help, it is possible to hold an employer accountable for retaliation and mistreatment of employees who needed workers’ compensation benefits.
