A Michigan sub-contractor was part of a construction project in which one company was fined approximately $36,000 by Connecticut authorities for failing to provide workers with appropriate insurance. According to reports, three contractors, including the Michigan sub-contractor, all of which were working on a new Apple store in West Hartford, Connecticut, failed to provide their employees with workers’ compensation coverage.
Despite the Department of Labor issuing a stop work order, work continued at the site for four full days before the situation was rectified. Fortunately, no one was injured during this timeframe.
While this scenario may seem rare, it is not hard to imagine local workers in the Saginaw area being exposed to similar oversight. Oftentimes three or more different entities are called in to work on one job. Whether it is a construction project or road work, there may be one entity doing the oversight while other entities are assigned to more specific tasks.
This can raise issues regarding employment. In other words, who is responsible if an employee gets hurt? These questions can get even more confusing when out-of-state companies come to Michigan.
The vast array of potential complications is often used to deny an individual benefits after an injury. The entities responsible will pass the buck as the claim gets wrapped up in an administrative morass. Meanwhile, an injured worker is being forced to endure medical expenses and lost wages alone.
Injured workers will probably want to get more information about the complexity of a multiple employer scenario and determine who is responsible for a worker’s injuries. There is no need for injured victims to struggle through a claim by themselves.
Source: West Hartford Patch, “Out-of-State Contractors Fined $36k for Violating Workers’ Rights on West Hartford Site,” Eleanor Sanford, June 13, 2014
