Employer and Employee Relationships in the Workers Compensation Environment
When addressing questions related to employer/employee relationships, the first aspect to note is whether the employee in question is a "covered employee" or not. Workers compensation benefits naturally apply to those employees who have established this specific relationship and who fall ill, sick or injured secondary to a workplace hazard or occupational incident. But what about those employers that are not covered by workers compensation? Many states, including Texas, do not require employers to carry workers compensation insurance for their employees. But “going bare” is always at the risk of the employer and leaves them open to litigation and issues of liability. The various protections established in civil court that workers compensation insurance offers do not extend to non-subscriber employers. Therefore, it is the sole responsibility of this uninsured employer to create a work environment that is safe and secure for employees and to establish clear and set expectations with their team. The first step in establishing a positive employer/employee relationship is reassuring employees that the leadership of their company always has their best interests in mind and they will do everything in their power to protect their team from any unforeseen issues. By guarding the interests of [...]