• Workers are protected by workers' compensationworker image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
  
  Workers' compensation is common in the U.S. It's basically a no-fault type of insurance that's made mandatory by state law. It's operated by the Workers' Compensation Commission, and the costs are paid for in full by the employers. The law was introduced in 1948 as a means to make sure certain medical bills and wage losses are paid to workers who are injured at work. Mississippi employers that are subject to the law have to supply compensation benefits to their workers by purchasing the insurance from a provider or by getting permission from the commission to insure themselves.
  
  

Who's Covered?

• Most workers in Mississippi are covered by the law. However, there are some exceptions. All employers that have at least five regular workers in their company are mandated to provide workers' compensation insurance coverage. However, if the business employs fewer than five people, the coverage isn't mandatory. Farm workers, those who are employed by nonprofit, religious, cultural, and charitable organizations aren't covered by law. Federal workers and certain maritime and transportation jobs are looked after by federal laws. Also, independent contractors are typically not covered, but employees of subcontractors are.
  
  

What's Covered

• The compensation law covers any type of injury as long as it took place in the scope of the person's job. Occupational diseases and illnesses are also covered as long as they're job-related. This is also the case for job-related deaths. The weekly compensation benefits are based on a five-day work week.
  
  

Waiting Period

• All employers are covered by law the day they begin their jobs. If an injured worker was paid in full for the day the incident occurred, the disability insurance will start the day after. If the worker wasn't paid in full for the day of the accident, then the insurance starts the day it took place.
  
  

What to Do if Injured

• If an injury occurs, the person should notify a supervisor immediately. The report should be prompt and accurate. The employer must then make a report of the incident and notify the insurance provider and/or the Workers' Compensation Commission.
  
  

In the Event of Death

• If a worker is killed on the job, the Workers' Compensation Law states the surviving spouse will receive benefit payments. These will be payable at every 14 days at least and could continue to be made for up to 450 weeks after the death. The benefits are equal to a certain percentage of the worker's average weekly salary. However, they are subject to a maximum weekly amount that is set by statute. In addition, the employer or the insurance provider must pay up to $2,000 for funeral expenses along with a lump sum of $250.00 to the spouse.