Yes. Workers’ compensation pays for their medical bills and a portion of their lost wages when an employee is hurt on the job. As a “at-will” employment state, Virginia allows businesses to terminate workers for virtually any cause. Even if you are awarded workers’ compensation, the situation will remain unchanged. If you suffer an injury on the job, your employer is under no obligation to keep your position open. The injuries may also provide your employer grounds to fire you if you can no longer perform the duties of your position.
However, being terminated from your job due to a workers’ compensation claim is illegal. It’s against the law to act in such a way as reprisal. If an employee is hurt, they can seek workers’ compensation payments. If an employee exercises their legal rights at work, their employer must protect them from retaliation. Seek the counsel of an experienced Injured Workers Law Firm without delay if you suspect your termination resulted from employer retribution for filing a workers’ compensation claim.
Maintaining contact with your employer is crucial if you are anxious about losing your job due to a work-related injury. Inform them of your progress as it happens. Show that you have a work-related injury and when you will be able to return to work by providing proof from your doctors.
A work-related accident can cause a lot of problems in your life, from physical agony to huge bills. The loss of a job, on top of everything else, can be very upsetting. Surely you can’t think that’s right or fair. Despite your job injury, your employer has no right to fire you.
In Virginia, are I protected against termination if I am injured on the job?
Employment in Virginia is considered to be at-will, as it is in most of the other states. Therefore, if it is not based purely on discrimination, your employer can fire you for nearly any reason. The company can fire you for whatever reason they choose. This means you can be dismissed if you get hurt on the job, which is unacceptable.
But there’s a catch: Your employer can’t dismiss you just because you got hurt or filed a workers’ comp claim, and that’s the law. If an employee is hurt on the job, they can claim for workers’ comp benefits regardless of who was at fault.
