When my husband I decided to start a business, we didn't think about the legal aspects of doing so. We didn't realize that purchasing business insurance, getting building permits and making investments all required some type of legal advice. But after speaking to a close friend, who also happens to own a small business, we contacted a business attorney. Now, we have the legal smarts to make the best decisions for our business, as well as the legal representation in case something happens to our company. I hope that you find my blog helpful and informative for your own business. It's a great resource for finding the legal advice, resources and guidance you need to get your company up and running.
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Administrative Assistants, Worker's Comp And Lawsuits: When This Applies
Ronnie Mills
You probably think of administrative assistants as desk secretaries and "gophers." While their job duties are often one and the same, administrative assistants are still deserving of respect. They are also deserving of workers comp when they have been injured on the job. As to when they might be injured on the job and qualify for worker's comp, here are a few instances that may apply.
Getting the Boss's Coffee
In the office, you can get burnt by hot coffee when somebody bumps into you. You can get burnt by coffee outside the office as well. If it causes any painful burning, blistering, or scarring, this definitely counts as a worker's compensation case. Getting your boss's coffee outside of the office and bringing it in only to be hit by a car or bus also qualifies as worker's comp because you were injured in the line of typical office duties.
Paper Shredding
Most paper shredding machines are automatic. They suck in documents and shred as they go. Unfortunately, many people have also lost toes and fingers this way, too. (More to the point, fingertips as entire fingers cannot fit in a shredder.) If, as an assistant, your tie gets caught in the shredder and chokes you and it causes noticeable injury to your larynx, trachea, and/or neck, that may be a worker's compensation case, too. It depends on how your tie got caught in the shredder in the first place. As for fingertips, there needs to be a valid reason why your fingers were anywhere near the blades of the shredder before they got cut.
Chairs Breaking and Electrocution
Office chairs are sneaky things. One day you are sitting just fine at your desk, and the next the chair's wheels and back support fall out from under you. Then there is the problem of electrocution. If your office equipment catches a surge of electricity and other conditions are met, you could be a little toasty. Either way, this is a worker's comp claim because things were not repaired or maintained to prevent injury.
Angry Former Employees Going Postal
It is the age of the gun. Former angry employees target bosses and their offices or places of business. Kids target bullies at school. It does not matter where you are, as an administrative assistant there is always a possibility that this could happen. If you are facing down the barrel of a gun held by a former employee, you get shot, and you survive, your company had better pay out on that worker's comp claim! If they refuse, you absolutely need to find a worker's comp lawyer and file a lawsuit.
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