employer refuses to pay workers comp

[BigJohn]

My current employer refuses to pay workers comp. I say fine at least pay for health insurance in case I get hurt, well cant have that either. Seems that when you cant afford to pay workers comp, taxes, or insurance you cant afford to provided insurance, holiday pay or vacation time.

I wonder what I should do. Anyone hiring?

 

[Timberhauler]

My current employer refuses to pay workers comp. I say fine at least pay for health insurance in case I get hurt, well cant have that either. Seems that when you cant afford to pay workers comp, taxes, or insurance you cant afford to provided insurance, holiday pay or vacation time.

I wonder what I should do. Anyone hiring?

I think I would begin to look for another job...What's he gonna do if you,god forbid,have a serious accident and become disabled?If he can't pay W/C,then he's for sure not gonna pay your medical bills or make sure your personal bills and food expenses are paid...To me it sounds like someone who doesn't even need to be in business.

 

[Rydaddy]

Move On

I own my own business (A sign company, not a tree care business), and I think your current employer will not be in business too long if he continues to take this approach. I'm sure there are other unethical practices that he is also following. Move on before he folds, problem is that the guys who are in that business legitimately have much higher overhead. Etc, etc., we could talk about this one for hours...

I wish you the best.

 

[ropensaddle]

I think I would begin to look for another job...What's he gonna do if you,god forbid,have a serious accident and become disabled?If he can't pay W/C,then he's for sure not gonna pay your medical bills or make sure your personal bills and food expenses are paid...To me it sounds like someone who doesn't even need to be in business.

Well maybe if they actually made it anywhere near affordable
it would be provided I myself have not been able to pay it
I however do not employ I either use temp service or sub
with a waiver! I am not alone the wc is not affordable and
I can show you vast subdivisions that have been built and
not one green back spent on wc. I would have to charge
too much and customers would use someone else I barely
get jobs with overhead now. Timber you act like only the rich
should have the chance to grow are you a politician?
This may sound harsh but I would like to see a no insurence
if you get hurt pay for your self that goes for car, and everything
the money saved on premiums over the years and invested
would more than pay doctors bills as they would have to
compete for our business!

 

[mckeetree]

Well maybe if they actually made it anywhere near affordable
it would be provided I myself have not been able to pay it
I however do not employ I either use temp service or sub
with a waiver! I am not alone the wc is not affordable and
I can show you vast subdivisions that have been built and
not one green back spent on wc. I would have to charge
too much and customers would use someone else I barely
get jobs with overhead now. Timber you act like only the rich
should have the chance to grow are you a politician?
This may sound harsh but I would like to see a no insurence
if you get hurt pay for your self that goes for car, and everything
the money saved on premiums over the years and invested
would more than pay doctors bills as they would have to
compete for our business!

I have had a feeling for some time now that your cheese has slid off your cracker.

 

[treeman82]

The NYSIF guy just came over this morning to audit me for my comp policy. I could barely understand what the guy was saying (indian guy), however one thing that I very clearly could understand him asking was... and this was at the house, with my pick-up truck sitting right in the driveway... "How many bucket trucks do you have?" I've barely got anything for payroll and he's asking me how many bucket trucks I have??? Terrible things that I wanted to say to him started going through my head... things I won't bother to repeat.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Wow,

Such a thing is for real? :monkey:

 

[ropensaddle]

I have had a feeling for some time now that your cheese has slid off your cracker.

What I don't understand spanish

 

[ropensaddle]

The NYSIF guy just came over this morning to audit me for my comp policy. I could barely understand what the guy was saying (indian guy), however one thing that I very clearly could understand him asking was... and this was at the house, with my pick-up truck sitting right in the driveway... "How many bucket trucks do you have?" I've barely got anything for payroll and he's asking me how many bucket trucks I have??? Terrible things that I wanted to say to him started going through my head... things I won't bother to repeat.

+100000000000000000000000000000+1

 

[Timberhauler]

Well maybe if they actually made it anywhere near affordable
it would be provided I myself have not been able to pay it
I however do not employ I either use temp service or sub
with a waiver! I am not alone the wc is not affordable and
I can show you vast subdivisions that have been built and
not one green back spent on wc. I would have to charge
too much and customers would use someone else I barely
get jobs with overhead now. Timber you act like only the rich
should have the chance to grow are you a politician?
This may sound harsh but I would like to see a no insurence
if you get hurt pay for your self that goes for car, and everything
the money saved on premiums over the years and invested
would more than pay doctors bills as they would have to
compete for our business!

Paying it in this state is the simple act of managing money.No,I'm by no means rich and at the present time I've been scrapping jobs here and there.I haven't seen things this slow in fifteen years..At least 3/4 of the people I work for,commercial accounts especially,will not even let you begin to work without W/C and liability.Plus about 1 in five homeowners I do work for will ask to see proof of insurance.So I can't really afford not to have it.

 

[ropensaddle]

Paying it in this state is the simple act of managing money.No,I'm by no means rich and at the present time I've been scrapping jobs here and there.I haven't seen things this slow in fifteen years..At least 3/4 of the people I work for,commercial accounts especially,will not even let you begin to work without W/C and liability.Plus about 1 in five homeowners I do work for will ask to see proof of insurance.So I can't really afford not to have it.

The real problem is the customers won't pay the costs I will
have it been busy finally and if it stays cost will be no problem,
and don't get me wrong I want to have it, just can't quite afford
it yet, already pay five grand a year for the insurance I do have
would go to near ten grand when I get it! Then stinking yellow pages,
bbb,isa,and all the other advertise and fuel oh why did I do it?

 

[OTG BOSTON]

I have had a feeling for some time now that your cheese has slid off your cracker.

X2

 

[ropensaddle]

X2

Yeah the real funny thing is youz guys think youz **** don't
stink!

 

[ropensaddle]

Big John does your employer have many assets? Any guess as to his net worth?

He is on the hook to pay for any of your injuries and disability should they occur. Unless of course you have a business license and are a legit sub contractor.

This country is full of lawyers that could win your case for you.

In Georgia an employer does not have to have WC, but we are still responsible for all medical expenses arising from injuries and disabilities.

So if the pay is good and your boss has the assets , keep on working for him just know that if you get an injury and take him to court you most likely will lose your job.

By the way, I feel the WC system is corrupt.

I know its
corrupt! I was working for a big fat corporation and guys fake back
injuries to get time off all the time anyone that works hard will have
a sore back I am sore 90 percent of my adult life! All these false claims
is why no small biz can afford comp and any adult that knowingly works
for someone that can't afford it accepted that! The system will
crucify a small guy getting work for these people usually friends
that need the money that know he can't afford to pay wc and
an honest wage too!

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

We are required by law to have WC here in WI, our system works great and should be a model system for other states, from the sound of it. It's required by law, but carried by private companies.
If you are working without WC, then it seems to me you are sort of a sub-contractor. If you are a sub-contractor, you need to charge more than if you are just an employee.
A typical employee costs an employer about twice what he pays him. If he's treating you like a sub, and paying you like an employee, it sounds like you are getting screwed.
If there aren't any better jobs, pick up some private insurance, and stay safe. The reason tree service insurance is so expensive is because it's so dangerous. Some idiots don't even follow basic ANSI standards, and then wonder why they can't get insured.
If you are going to work without insurance, you might as well be your own boss.

 

[ropensaddle]

We are required by law to have WC here in WI, our system works great and should be a model system for other states, from the sound of it. It's required by law, but carried by private companies.
If you are working without WC, then it seems to me you are sort of a sub-contractor. If you are a sub-contractor, you need to charge more than if you are just an employee.
A typical employee costs an employer about twice what he pays him. If he's treating you like a sub, and paying you like an employee, it sounds like you are getting screwed.
If there aren't any better jobs, pick up some private insurance, and stay safe. The reason tree service insurance is so expensive is because it's so dangerous. Some idiots don't even follow basic ANSI standards, and then wonder why they can't get insured.
If you are going to work without insurance, you might as well be your own boss.

Why should it be a model system trying to keep the
small man from prospering?

 

[ropensaddle]

I think we should have a brotherhood membership dues
will pay for health issues and injury's instead of 30 per
hundred of income the brotherhood pays for injuries
and health care.We as a profession could better manage
our money than gov and cut back bogus claims and legal
problems by forming a brotherhood of tree workers.
Set dues at a thousand per member and if you work
in trees it will be deducted per agreement signed on
employment date dues will be put in sound investments
and non profit carryover to be for catastrophic illness
and injury.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Why should it be a model system trying to keep the
small man from prospering?

It doesn't. You pay only on a percentage of wages. Say you pay your guy $30 an hour, for a measly $10 more he's insured.
Big or small, everyone pays. Why is it harder for the small guy?
If youare not able to insure employees, you should hire sub-contractors.

 

[ropensaddle]

It doesn't. You pay only on a percentage of wages. Say you pay your guy $30 an hour, for a measly $10 more he's insured.
Big or small, everyone pays. Why is it harder for the small guy?
If youare not able to insure employees, you should hire sub-contractors.

Look the customer and competition
sets the rates I can't charge ten thousand per tree and get
work here and if it was a measly 10 or even a hundred I would
already have it try 3500.00 minimum and all at once then advertise
and other insurance, fuel,parts,licences,and all the other legal theft
going on with someone trying to make a living!
Mike I have already said how I do it, I use temps and let
the service do the comp but that stinks as I have to use
people that may or may not give a **** and if they let go
of the rope they will need comp.
I get hurt too bad for me I still like working for myself
and I work alone as much as possible to keep costs down
but I could insure a whole family for what the try to hit you
with on comp for a measly 10 grand payout 35 percent!

 

[Job Corps Tree]

Employer refuses to pay Worker Comp

I'ed look for a New Job! Their are to many good Co,s that have full Benny,s.