4 Ways Tennessee Is Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation Benefits

by

Michael D. Ponce

Last Updated August 4, 2014 In Workers Compensation

State law in Tennessee requires most employers to carry insurance policies to cover the costs of work accident injuries. However, many companies try to avoid this responsibility by misclassifying workers or paying employees in an illegal manner.

The bad news is the injured workers are the ones who end up paying in situations like this. The good news is the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce (TDLW) is making efforts to prevent employer fraud to improve workers’ access to Tennessee workers’ compensation benefits.

Clarksville Online reports the first step taken by the TDLW was establishing the Employee Misclassification Advisory Task Force to come up with four recommendations for improving access to workers’ compensation in Tennessee. These recommendations include:

1. Increasing enforcement – Cases of mismanaging employees or their pay are directed to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation or the appropriate District Attorney for investigation and prosecution. Tips lines have been established to report employer misconduct.
2. Having More Investigators On Hand– Expanding the workforce, especially with bilingual detectives to allow more potential cases to be examined in a timely manner.
3. Improving Technology– Acquiring fraud protection software is crucial to achieving the mission of preventing workers and payments from being misclassified by employers.
4. Increasing Public Awareness– Campaigns to educate workers about their rights will help foster a grassroots mission to ensure workers’ health and safety.

At Ponce Law, our Nashville personal injury lawyers know the importance of workers’ compensation coverage, and we are hopeful the actions taken by the state will improve compliance with Tennessee’s workers’ compensation laws.