Your Health in the Workplace

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Authored By: Iowa Legal Aid

Information

Workers’ disability compensation (compensation to workers who are injured in the workplace) will pay you if you are injured on the job. 

You may qualify for weekly payments in place of your salary and for medical care if you are injured or disabled on the job. 

If your employer is subject to the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Act, the employer must provide worker’s compensation coverage for each employee. 

If your employer is subject to the law, you have the right to minimal care and treatment for accidents or illnesses that result from work. This includes medical treatment (doctors, nurses), hospitalization, surgery, and possibly even dental care, crutches, eyeglasses, hearing aids or other hearing devices. 

If your employer is subject to the law, you have the right to weekly payments, which will continue during the time you are injured and without income. The amount of payment depends on the date and type of injury. 

You must report the details of your accident or illness immediately to the person in charge of such situations at your job, whether it is your employer, supervisor or other person. 

If you are injured at work and do not report it within 90 days, you lose the right to claim compensation benefits. 

In addition, agricultural employees working 35 hours or more a week for five consecutive weeks or more must be provided medical coverage and hospital admission for all accidents related to work, even if they do not originally qualify for disability compensation. 

Contact a lawyer immediately if you are hurt on the job and are not provided medical benefits by your employer. 

Last Review and Update: Oct 26, 2022
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