Most Minnesota schools are out for summer break, and that means many more high school and college students will be looking to pick up some extra shifts or take on another side gig to bring in some extra cash. The summer season also provides the perfect opportunity for Minnesotans to take on another part-time job for a short period of time, but these temporary positions typically have a higher than average rate of injuries. That’s not to say that all of these summer temp jobs are particularly dangerous, but temp workers tend to be less familiar with the best practices for staying safe in a new position, and one wrong move can lead to injury.
Getting injured during your temporary job can throw a wrench in your summer plans, but don’t also let it significantly affect your financial stability. In today’s blog, we explore how you can collect workers’ compensation in Minnesota if you are injured at your summer temp job.
Temp Jobs And Your Right To Compensation
As we’ve mentioned many times on the blog in the past, you don’t need to be a salaried or full-time employee in order to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits on the job. You also don’t need to be employed for a certain amount of time before you are eligible for injury benefits. If you’ve been told otherwise by your employer, know that they are either unintentionally misinformed or intentionally trying to keep you from filing for injury compensation, and both of these reasons are largely problematic to you as a worker.
It doesn’t matter if you only work eight hours a week or if it was your first day on the job; If you are an employee of a business and you suffer documented injuries during the course of your work duties, you are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits in Minnesota. Your temp status or how long you’ve worked for the company has no bearing on your ability to collect workers’ compensation.
So while you will be able to collect workers’ compensation, the amount you will be eligible to collect will vary based on a few specific factors pertaining to your employer. However, let’s start by acknowledging that if you have an approved claim, all of your medical expenses will be covered. Whether you need stitches or a major surgery, if you are eligible to collect workers’ compensation and your claim is approved, you will be reimbursed for all medical expenses, and any future medical expenses will also be covered so long as they are deemed medically necessary. Part-time or full-time, it doesn’t matter. Your medical expenses will be covered in full if your claim is approved.
One aspect of the injury compensation process that will be affected by your temporary work status is the amount you’ll be able to collect through a wage loss claim. Wage loss claims typically pay two-thirds of your average weekly pay while you are sidelined and unable to work. If you’re a college senior who only works 15 hours a week during the summer, you’re only going to be eligible to collect two-thirds of your average take home for those 15 hours. However, if you work multiple jobs, you can count those average wages when working to determine an average weekly take home amount if your work injury forces you to miss time away from all of your jobs. Tips, bonuses or overtime also factor into the equation when determining an employee’s average take home amount.
Summer temp workers have a higher than average risk of injury, but know that you are afforded the same injury protections as someone who has been with the company for decades. If you are injured during the course of your temp work, you are absolutely eligible for compensation, and we’d be happy to help you get the compensation you deserve. For more information, or for help navigating the complex world of injury law, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
