If you are a Minnesota seasonal employee and have a workplace injury, you are probably eligible for workers’ compensation. Learn more about the eligibility requirements and how to receive benefits.
What Is a Seasonal Employee?
Seasonal employees include those who work for an employer for only part of the year. Seasonal employees may be “temps”, or they may return to the same position every year around the same time. In Minnesota, seasonal jobs may include:
- Plowing snow
- Maintaining parks or roads
- Coaching an athletic activity
- Operating outdoor skating rinks and winter lodges
- Operating golf courses or outdoor swimming pools
Do Seasonal Employees Get Workers’ Comp?
Yes, many seasonal employees qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. If you are an employee, you are injured on the job, and your injury arises out of the course and scope of your employment, you can receive benefits. Some seasonal employees may mistakenly think that because their employment each year is short, workers’ comp is not available. This is not true in Minnesota.
However, if you are considered to be an independent contractor under the law, your employer does not have to pay you workers’ comp benefits. Some seasonal workers may truly be employees but their employers call them contractors to save on taxes and benefits. There is a specific legal test to determine if someone is an employee rather than a contractor. If you believe that you may be an employee, speak to a workers’ compensation lawyer today.
How to Receive Benefits
Seasonal employees should notify their managers of any on-the-job injuries as soon as possible. If you get injured during one season, do not wait until the next work season comes around to report. Call up your manager and tell him or her what happened. Your manager should report the injury to the business’s workers’ compensation insurance company. You should hear back from the insurance company about benefits within a couple of weeks.
Need help getting workers’ compensation for your injury as a seasonal employee? Joe Osterbauer, Esq. and the Osterbauer Law Firm stand up for injured Minnesota workers’ rights. Joe’s 27 years of workers’ compensation experience and his team’s speedy service combine to get clients the results they need. To schedule a free consultation, visit Osterbauer Law Firm online or call Joe’s office at (612) 334-3434.
