What are my options if I get injured as a temp?

On Behalf of | Jan 27, 2021 | Workplace Injuries |

Industrial companies and office environments alike often rely on staffing agencies to meet their needs.

Sometimes, these workers are there for a definite period of time and expect to leave once their assignment ends. In other situations, a work may continue to perform her job for months or even years but will remain an employee of the staffing agency.

Employees of staffing agencies have the right to be compensated for injuries

Temporary employees have the right to workers’ compensation benefits just like any other worker in the greater Chicago area.

Illinois law requires that employers make sure that their employees have these benefits. They must either purchase insurance coverage or set up a fund that the employer will administer itself.

Normally, the staffing agency is the legal employer of the temporary worker. As such, the worker should file a claim for benefits with his staffing agency. Asking for benefits or otherwise suing the company which requested the temporary employee may prove difficult, even if the accident happened on that company’s property.

Temporary employees may collect both medical benefits and lost wages

If the temporary employee qualifies for workers’ compensation, she should have all of her eligible medical bills connected with the work-related illness or injury covered.

Furthermore, temporary employees are also entitled to have their staffing agency cover a portion of their lost wages if they have to take more than three days off of work in a row because of the injury.

Figuring a temporary employee’s wages can be tricky, especially if the employee’s hours vary. However, employees should be mindful that even if they have not been able to get a lot of hours in recent weeks, minimums apply to Temporary Total Disability benefits.

 

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