Worker’s Compensation coverage is a required policy for all entities that have four or more employees in the State of Florida. Each state has their own requirements and breakdowns of coverage available and we at Beacon are here to help!
Worker’s Compensation is an important coverage protecting your employees and volunteers by assisting with the cost of medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost wages and even partial or total disability after a workplace incident.
Each state has created statutes regarding the coverages, benefits, penalties and most importantly the cost of coverage for employees working in their state. For example, even though the state of Florida mandates coverage only for businesses with four or more employees, we can place coverage for occasional employees, called an “if any” policy.
The church can be held liable for the medical bills and lost wages of an injured employee, even if they aren’t required to carry worker’s compensation coverage by the governing state. There are inexpensive options to protect the church and its staff of any size.
Beacon’s team of insurance professionals will discuss all determining factors to ensure your employees get the best coverage possible and you get the best premium possible for this vital coverage.
Call the dedicated team of experienced agents at Beacon Insurance Agency to learn more about the insurance packages we provide today!
Types of Coverage
As a carrier of GuideOne, Beacon specializes in offering workers’ compensation for churches that provide employer liability coverage as well as coverage for medical expenses and lost wages.
It’s crucial to the future of your church to know whether you have adequate workers’ compensation insurance coverage. If one of your employees is injured performing their duties, you need coverage. The legal fees, medical costs, and lost wages that arise from workplace injuries could be too great for your church to pay. So, it is important to have financial protection to ensure you can safely serve your organization.
Do You Have Coverage?
Community outreach and ministry put your church in a number of situations that are not standard for every type of business. Common circumstances that might require workers’ compensation insurance coverage include:
- Involvement in an auto accident resulting in serious injury
- Minor Injuries
- Slip and Falls
- Sprains and Fractures
Specialized Workers’ Compensation Insurance
In our work with churches, nonprofit organizations, and private schools, the agents at Beacon understand the unique challenges that you face in accomplishing your missions and serving the community and work with our clients to find the solutions they need. The GuideOne workers’ compensation policies we offer provide coverage for:
- Replacing wages for employees who are disabled by work-related injuries or illnesses. By law, replaced wages should be adequate, equitable, prompt, and certain. Further, injured workers are entitled to wage replacement for the period of time that they are totally or partially disabled. With wage replacement coverage, your church is financially prepared. Additionally, cash benefits are computed as a percentage of the worker’s wages.
- Restoring disabled workers by paying for any medical/vocational rehabilitation deemed necessary in order to enable the employee’s return to productive employment? As an employer, you must provide medical care to workers at no cost to them. With workers’ compensation coverage, your church will have a financial provision in place to pay costs including:
- First aid treatment
- Physician services
- Nursing care
- Medical supplies
- Prescription medications
- Surgical care
- Hospital services
- Medical/vocational rehabilitation
Many ministers receive payment as independent contractors rather than as actual employees of the church. However, most state Workers’ Compensation bureaus do not consider members of the clergy as contract workers because of the unique relationship between the employer and employee.
Frequently Asked Questions About Worker’s Compensation
In the event of workplace injury, illness, or death, many questions arise that your church will need to answer.
Workers’ compensation insures employees against wages lost or medical costs related to job-related illness or injuries. Ill or injured workers receive a certain portion of their wages while they are unable to work and receive compensation for the cost of their care.
Workers’ Compensation insurance for churches and ministries works in the very same way as it does for all other entities. While Florida Law does not require that smaller businesses and organizations employing fewer than four people have Workers’ Compensation coverage, we urge ALL of our clients to invest in coverage. Any incident, no matter how seemingly small, could take a great financial toll, so having a Workers’ Compensation policy will provide them with the protection they need.
Workers’ Compensation covers work-related injuries and illness. These may not have to be related to a single incident. Repetitive stress injuries or illnesses resulting from continuous exposure to certain chemicals in the work environment may give rise to a workers’ compensation claim. In addition, employees do not have to be on the premises to receive coverage. Injuries or illness that arise during the course of performing any work-related tasks at their employer’s request – whether on or off-site – will fall under Workers’ Compensation. Injuries that occur while an employee is driving to or from work, however, are not considered work-related accidents. In the event that a drug or alcohol test is conducted after an accident the employee fails such a test, the employer will not be accountable. Self-inflicted injuries or intentional acts of the employer or other employees are also not covered by Workers’ Compensation.
Workers’ Compensation covers only employees of the business or organization.
Generally, policies do not cover volunteers because they are not employees. Minors, however, often receive coverage. If minors work in violation of labor laws, there may be substantial penalties. Most often, WCC benefits double in these situations, and the employer is responsible for paying the additional amount.
No. Workers’ Compensation is a no-fault program. This means that injured employees do not legally have to prove negligence on the part of their employer in order to receive benefits, but neither can they sue their employer for their injuries.
Injured or sick employees must report their injuries or illness to their employer and must submit specific forms. If the employee does not report the injury within a certain period of time, they will potentially lose their right to receive benefits. Employers also must provide all employees with fact sheets or pamphlets regarding their rights and responsibilities in addition to displaying the posters required by state law. Once the employee properly submits the forms, compensation will be determined in accordance with state law.
Have questions about Workers’ Compensation that are not answered here? Call Beacon Insurance Agency to get answers to your questions today!