Workers’ compensation is designed to provide workers with a source of income while they strive to move past a work-related injury. Depending on the line of work you’re in, you may not be able to work until you’re fully recovered, but does that mean you need to avoid any potential source of income? For example, could you perform some freelance work or drive for Uber while you’re recovering from a broken foot that is keeping you off your roofing crew? Below, we explain how freelance jobs are handled if you’re currently collecting workers’ compensation after an injury.
Freelance Jobs and Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation provides financial assistance to the employee in a few different forms, but the main two payments are for medical expenses and for lost wages. Any medical benefits you receive should not be affected by your decision to perform some freelance work. After all, you working to find a source of income doesn’t change the bill you’ll receive from the doctor for your medical care.
The same can’t be said for wage loss benefits, which provide an employee with a percentage of their expected income while they are out of a job. If you’re still earning a side income, you’ll be paid out less than you would if you didn’t have a secondary source of income. Naturally, this leads people to want to either give up their freelance work or to not disclose that they perform side jobs so they can still collect the full workers’ compensation amount and their side income.
This is problematic for a couple of reasons, but the main takeaway here is that it is in your best interest to let the workers’ compensation insurance provider know that you have a secondary source of income. Because if your injuries render you incapable of doing freelance work, those expected wages can be added into your wage loss benefits. And if you were already performing freelance work prior to your injuries, it should not affect your wage loss benefit payout for your main source of income if you can still do freelance work while you recover.
If you are confused about the process or considering performing some freelance work while you recover from your work injury, it is in your best interest to pick up the phone and call a workers’ compensation lawyer in your area. Not only can they ensure that you get all the benefits that you are entitled to receive, they can ensure that you don’t end up jeopardizing your claim because you tried to find a side income. Because if you don’t disclose this secondary source of income, you try to hide it, or if it goes against the physical limitations put in place by your doctor, you can end up losing your benefits.
Finally, it’s worth noting that you should also consider exploring vocational rehabilitation benefits after an injury, especially if you’re not sure you’ll be able to return to the same role you held prior to the injury. Vocational rehabilitation benefits can help provide you with training or education to help you find gainful employment, whether that’s in a field related to your primary job, your freelance job or if you’re interested in changing careers altogether. If you have questions about what you’re entitled to receive in workers’ compensation or vocational rehabilitation benefits, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the experienced staff at Hey Workers today.
