Will filing for workers’ compensation hurt your work relations?

If you suffer a major injury in the workplace, you know that your top priority is to take care of your medical health so you can get back to top condition. However, you might have concerns over how your boss and coworkers will react if you file for compensation and leave work for several weeks to recover.

For many people, workers’ compensation is the only option for getting necessary treatment after a devasting workplace injury. Understanding your rights will help alleviate any fears you may have about your work relationships.

Your relationship with the employer

While you might fear a negative response from your employer after claiming workers’ compensation, they have no moral grounds for taking advantage of the benefits offered by the company. Your boss also has no legal right to discriminate or retaliate against you as per California retaliation laws. Any attempt to fire you in response to filing for compensation would be an act of wrongful termination.

Your relationship with coworkers

If one of your coworkers takes time off to recover from a devastating injury, you might feel a twinge of bitterness at having to pick up the extra slack. However, you likely recognize that it is not correct to direct those negative feelings at your injured teammate. Your coworkers would surely come to the same conclusion following your own workers’ compensation claim.

Your boss, your coworkers and even the company itself have no place blaming you for an accident that led to a potentially life-altering injury. While there is no solid guarantee that some individuals might display a poor attitude, the law is on your side when it comes to protecting your rights to workers’ compensation.