If you are employed in Pennsylvania, it is important for you to know about the laws related to your employment and the benefits you may have access to regarding or because of your employment. One type of benefits offered to most workers in the state is workers’ compensation. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, this program is designed to help people after they have been injured at work, developed an illness related to a work environment or situation or have lost a loved one in a work-related incident.
Benefits are available to you beginning on your first day on a job. However, if your injury or illness is related to any illegal activity or drunkenness or if you deliberately hurt yourself in some way, you may not be able to receive workers’ compensation benefits. If you work in the maritime industry, worker’s compensation benefits may be provided to you via a different program. Any non-military federal employees, domestic help, railroad workers, volunteer personnel or agriculture workers may also not be covered under the state’s workers’ compensation program.
For covered persons, benefits may provide wage replacement up to a portion of your earnings for temporary or permanent disabilities as well as medical treatment.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give people who work in Pennsylvania an overview of the state’s workers’ compensation program so they know if they are covered and what types of events may not result in coverage.
