Employees in New Jersey may be entitled to workers’ comp benefits for bodily harm sustained during a robbery that takes place while they are at work or on the job. As described by News 12 New Jersey, an employee was seriously injured by shoplifters, given a tourniquet while in an ambulance and taken to a hospital. Although the employee’s injuries were not reported as life-threatening, he may still require some time off to recover from the stab wounds to his right arm. Worker’s comp benefits may help relieve financial burdens resulting from the injuries and any lost wages.
As noted by the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, workers’ comp covers injuries, pain and lost wages. The exclusions include self-inflicted harm, injuries caused by the harmed party’s intoxication or which stem from the employee’s violation of safety rules. The loss-prevention officer, who was working at a Macy’s retail store in the Woodbridge Center mall, was stabbed twice in the arm after attempting to block a shoplifting incident involving multiple suspects. If the position requires engaging with criminal suspects, such as the duties assigned to an in-store security guard, a claim may be pursued.
Employees who earn full-time salaries may be provided with benefits such as paid time off, sick days or vacation pay. For some Garden State workers, however, their employment may only offer them an hourly wage without benefits. Since it could be catastrophic for many employees to lose pay in order to recover from an injury that they sustained while on the job, the workers’ compensation fund was established. If an application is denied, employees have a right to an appeal.
