If you’re a full-time worker in the state of New York, chances are that you benefit from workers’ compensation coverage. As such, if you suffer a job-related injury, you can receive money to pay for your medical care, wage-replacement benefits, job training, temporary and permanent disability benefits and more depending on the details and extent of your work-related injuries.
That said, certain employees – according to state law – are exempt from workers’ compensation coverage. In some cases, these employees are exempt because they benefit from other types of injured-worker protections. If your employment falls under any of the job categories below, make sure you fully understand the extent of your work-related injury benefits.
Employees exempt from New York workers’ compensation benefits
Here is a list of employees who are exempt from New York workers’ compensation benefits:
- Any domestic employees, e.g., home assistants, cooks, housekeepers or nannies, who works under 40 hours a week
- Clergy workers
- Those who work for municipalities and various political subdivisions and who do not carry out hazardous-employment tasks
- Firefighters
- Sanitation employees
- Police officers who work for New York City
- Casually-employed minors and babysitters 14 years of age and older working for a single family
- Harbor workers and longshoremen
- Railroad workers
- Yard workers and handymen who perform odd jobs for a single-family residence
As referenced above, some of these categories of workers are exempt from workers’ compensation benefits because they have their own industry-specific form of workers compensation. Firefighters, police officers and railroad workers may benefit from other types of work-related injury benefits if they get hurt on the job. Alternatively, nannies, housekeepers, handymen, yard workers and other informal workers may not benefit from any kind of work-related injury protections at all.
Is your job exempt from workers’ compensation but you suffered an injury?
If you suffered an injury on the job or at your work site, it is vital that you fully comprehend your legal rights. Even if you are not covered by the New York workers’ compensation system, other legal options may be available that could allow you to pursue financial compensation in court.