Getting hurt on the job can seriously alter the course of your future in more ways than one. While you are focusing on your physical recovery and trying to cover medical bills without a paycheck, your employer could be actively sabotaging your future. Unfortunately, it is not unheard of for Florida employers to retaliate against workers who file for workers’ compensation benefits. Victims of workers’ comp retaliation may face additional hurdles during recovery, including financial and emotional burdens.
Florida employers usually maintain workers’ compensation insurance coverage. This insurance covers costs related to injured employees’ lost income and medical expenses as well as the costs related to refusing coverage for a disputed claim. However, since the cost of coverage usually goes up as employees file claims, some employers do everything possible to discourage injured workers from making claims.
This discouragement can go as far as terminating employees who try to file claims. Some Florida employers go so far as to fire injured workers before they even have a chance to make a workers’ compensation claim. Other examples of workplace retaliation related to injuries or illnesses include:
- Getting fired for taking family or medical leave
- Being pressured to return to work early or lose a job
- Termination or discipline for reporting an illegal or dangerous condition
- Termination or discipline for supporting another person’s workers’ comp claim
Workers’ comp retaliation can compromise your future. Not only are you out of a job and source of income, but your former employer might fight against your workers’ comp claim. Without the benefits you need, you cannot focus on your physical, financial and emotional recovery. You do not have to go through this process alone, though. Be sure to visit our website to learn how having the right help on your side can make pursuing a legal claim proceed more smoothly.