Workers’ Compensation For Household Employees In Minnesota

Do you work for a family full time or as a side jig for some extra cash? If so, there’s a good chance that you are eligible for workers’ compensation in the event that you suffer an on-the-job injury.

Workers’ compensation cases involving household employees can be a little bit confusing and even intimidating, especially if you are worried about affecting the financial situation of the family who you help, but know that they are incredibly common and you’re not going to send them to the poor house by filing a claim. In today’s blog, we explain how household employees can get workers’ compensation if they are injured on the job.

Household Employees – Who Can Get Compensation?

Families hire employees for all sorts of reasons, and in many cases these people are eligible for workers’ compensation in the event that they are injured on the job. Some of the more common types of household employees who may be eligible for injury compensation include:

Babysitters
Nannies
Home Health Workers
Personal Care Aids
Senior Care Aids
Child Care Aids
Dog Walkers/Pet Care Aids

When it comes down to whether or not you have coverage, it really doesn’t matter whether you fall into one of the above titles or you perform some other services for the family. Minnesota has defined the standard that must be met in order for a family to be required to carry an additional workers’ compensation policy for their employee. A Minnesota family must provide workers’ compensation insurance if they pay their employee more than $1,000 in a calendar quarter.

While many babysitters may not meet this threshold, oftentimes nannies and other care workers breeze past that $1,000 threshold in a three-month span. So if you have earned more than $1,000 in a calendar quarter, know that your employer is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance.

Now, if you earn less than $1,000 per quarter, know that this doesn’t mean you are automatically ineligible for injury compensation in the event that you are injured while working for a family. If you make less than $1,000 a quarter, you would likely be eligible for compensation through your employer’s homeowner’s insurance policy. Homeowner’s insurance policies typically provide coverage for injuries that occur to individuals on their property, so you can collect compensation through an injury claim with their policy holder. Once you meet this $1,000/quarter threshold, the homeowner’s insurance policy recognizes that you have a greater risk of injury on a person’s property given your presence and the work being performed, and your employer would be required to take out an additional policy for their employee.

These policies are typically very cheap compared to a standard business, and you will not be causing any major financial harm to your employer in the event that you need to file a claim. They pay a small premium for this exact reason, and any compensation would be coming from their workers’ compensation provider, so do not feel like you can’t file for injury compensation because you are close with the family that acts as your employer.

If you work as a household employee that meets the $1,000 a quarter threshold and have been injured on the job, let us help you get the compensation you deserve. We can act as a third party between you and your employer or you and your employer’s workers’ compensation provider so that you don’t have to be overly involved in the process. We’ll ensure you get the compensation you deserve for your hard work and your injuries.

For more information, or for help with a different type of injury claim, reach out to Dean and the team at the Margolis Law Firm today at (952) 230-2700.