Should this employee have stopped receiving workers’ comp benefits from his employer after he was fired for violating company policy?
What happened?
An employee who was receiving workers’ comp was assigned to light-duty work. While on the job, the employee violated the company’s conduct policy by destroying company property.
As a result, the worker was fired and his employer cut off his workers’ comp benefits.
The employee then took the company to court to get his benefits reinstated. His argument: He was hurt on the job and should receive workers’ comp until he has fully recovered from his injury.
Did the court reinstate his comp benefits?
The decision
Yes. The man was able to get his benefits reinstated. His attorney claimed that payment of a workers’ comp claim should continue until the recipients injury has stabilized.
The court agreed. It said the company was allowed to discharge at-will employees for “any or no reason” — but whether an employee has been terminated for a valid cause is a matter “foreign to workers’ compensation causes.”
Focus on the injury
Lesson: When it comes to workers’ comp benefits, the status of an employee’s injury is what matters most.
According to the court: An employer’s obligation to pay out benefits continues until the worker’s medical condition improves — even if that means paying someone no longer employed at the company.
Cite: Interstate Scaffolding, Inc. v. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission
Do you agree with the court’s decision? Share your thoughts in the Comments Box below.
