People who perform temporary services and work through a licensed Professional Employer Organization (PEO) or Employee Leasing Company receive their paychecks directly from the licensed organization, rather than from the company that temporarily employs them. Under Florida law, these licensed organizations are required to provide Worker compensation for their employees, regardless of where they work. Failure to do so can leave temporary workers without coverage when they suffer on-the-job injuries.
In addition to full payroll and other typical responsibilities pertaining to employment, licensed PEOs are required by Florida law to be responsible for the following:
- Performing safety inspections at the sites of temporary employers
- Making employment and safety policies known and administering them
- Performing all procedures required for Worker compensation claims
As recently as July of 2013, the Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud uncovered a scheme in which a temporary staffing company represented itself as a licensed PEO and submitted falsified certificates of insurance to its client companies. In essence, the clients of the PEO paid $130,000 for Worker compensation coverage that did not exist.
As alarming as this type of fraud may be for the client companies, temporary workers are more concerned with what they can do if they suffer workplace injuries, face potentially significant medical bills and learn they have no Worker compensation coverage when they are injured on the job. An experienced Florida Worker compensation lawyer can often unravel the red tape to help pursue the compensation workers deserve.
If you become injured on the job only to find that no Worker compensation coverage exists to fund your medical treatment and other needs — or if your claim is unfairly denied — seek immediate assistance from a skilled and experienced attorney.