Injury Compensation For Seasonal Temp Workers In Minnesota

The holiday season is upon us, and while it looks a little different than in years past because of the coronavirus, many businesses are still looking to hire additional help during their busiest time of year. They often do this by hiring temporary workers. A temp worker is someone who is contracted to work for a short but specific period of time. There’s a possibility that the temp worker’s tenure could be extended once their contract ends, but oftentimes the business no longer needs the additional staffing after the busy season, and the temporary worker heads off to find new employment elsewhere.

Temp workers can provide crucial staffing help during particularly busy times of the year, but they also are a group of individuals at an elevated risk for injury. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why so many temp workers end up injured on the job, and how you can collect benefits if you are injured while performing temp work.

Why Temp Workers Suffer So Many Work Injuries

Temporary workers are one of the most commonly injured types of workers, and this occurs for a number of different reasons. For starters, a new worker is much more likely to suffer a work injury than a worker who has been with the company for years. A temp worker may not be aware of all the risks of certain tasks and may be more likely to not use safety gear appropriately, whereas a longstanding employee would be aware of certain hazards and take the necessary precautions.

There’s also the possibility that the temp worker will be performing more dangerous tasks. For example, a temp worker may be asked to get up on a ladder to hang decorations or go collect carts from the parking lot in snowy and icy conditions. They may be assigned these less-than-ideal tasks more often than a regular employee who may rank a little higher in the pecking order. So not only are temp workers often unfamiliar with the risks of the job, they are often asked to perform more dangerous work.

And once they are injured, filing for compensation can be a complicated process. The employer may incorrectly inform the temp worker than because of their contract, they aren’t protected by workers’ compensation. Because the employer views the employee differently, the employer may assume that the same rules do not apply. Oftentimes the employer is mistaken in this regard, but if the temp worker takes the employer at their word, the employer could knowingly or unknowingly be cheating their employee out of hundreds or thousands of dollars in rightful compensation. Instead of turning to your employer for answers about your injury claim, turn to an attorney, because your employer does not have your best interests at heart, especially when you consider that their workers’ compensation premiums stand to increase because of your rightful claim to compensation.

Temp Workers And Workers’ Compensation

If you are employed as a temp worker and you suffer an on-the-job injury, the first thing you need to do is reach out to an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer like Dean Margolis. We understand that doing so may seem like an extreme step, but know that talking to a lawyer is oftentimes the only way to collect injury compensation that you rightfully deserve. Even if you’re only seeking to cover a couple hundred bucks, it’s worth it to hire a lawyer to help pursue your case.

If you’re thinking that a lawyer isn’t worth the cost, think again. Workers’ compensation lawyers get a small percentage of your winnings, so you’re not paying a bunch of money out of pocket in the hopes that you’ll win a small award. They only get paid if you win your case, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by connecting with a lawyer. And as we mentioned above, temp workers rarely have an ally in their corner with their best interests at heart, so give yourself some peace of mind knowing that someone else is fighting for your rights while you focus on recovering.

Don’t assume that you can’t file for compensation because you aren’t considered a standard employee. Temp workers are a crucial asset to a business, and they have injury protections just like everyone else. To learn more about your options or to talk to a lawyer about your case, reach out to Dean and the team at Margolis Law Office today at (952) 230-2700.