Under Hawaii workers compensation laws, the employees who get injured in an accident at the workplace or suffer from illness caused by hazardous factors present at the place of work are entitled to certain amount of monetary compensation for a specific period of time, depending upon the severity of the injuries and its effects on the employee’s physical ability to return to work. Particularly, if you are working in high-risk industries, you must be very well aware of these laws. Unless you know your legal rights and the options provided to you by the laws, you will not be able to make the best use of the same in your favor.
Different Types Of Benefits That The Laws Provide
Hawaii workers compensation laws provide an array of benefits for the injured employee in relation to rehabilitation services and adequate medical care. The kind of benefits that a specific employee qualify for depend on the actual circumstances the illness or injury occurred in. For example, there are provisions for monetary benefits to those who suffer from disfigurement resulting from the workplace injuries or illness. In general, the victim is provided with monetary compensation not just to cover the expenses related to medical and rehabilitation services but also to cover the lost wages that the victim may have to face because of his or her inability to return to work. Sometimes, the injuries are not very serious and the victim is able to return to work at least partially, not full time. Even in such cases, the victim is entitled to compensation for the partially lost wages.
Coverage Requirements For Employers
As per Hawaii workers compensation laws, it is legally mandatory for every employer in the state of Hawaii who has more than one employee in his or her organization to obtain occupational injuries compensation insurance. However, employers with specific types of employees are exempt from this legal requirement, such as domestic servants, student workers who are paid in the form of tuition fee, volunteer workers, and others (including certain shareholders) who earn less than $225 a quarter. There are two options for the employers regarding the coverage requirement – they can either get themselves self-insured or buy a policy from a private insurance agency. In case of self-insured employers, sufficient documentations must be submitted to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations as a proof that the employers are financially capable to cover the compensation claims as and when they arise.
There are also provisions for concurrent benefits under Hawaii workers compensation laws, which are applicable for those employees who have two jobs. It means if the workplace injury from one job results in wage loss in another job, the injured employee must be compensated for that also.