Health-care workers and emergency responders will benefit from rules eased in some states around workers’ compensation that will allow them to collect benefits if they can prove they caught Covid-19 on the job, Bloomberg reports.
But employers need to be aware of the changing rules and be prepared for the likely end result—skyrocketing premiums.
State workers’ compensation boards around the country are amending rules for benefits payouts to include health-care workers exposed to the virus and then quarantined. Attorneys are keeping a close eye on the questions, such as who should be eligible to receive benefits, how does a worker prove they caught Covid-19 on the job, and how will an influx of successful claims affect businesses’ premiums to insurance carriers.
Some say essential workers like grocery store employees and delivery workers also should qualify.
Related:
Advisen: COVID-19 prompts a host of questions for workers compensation cover