{"id":1983,"date":"2021-02-25T10:26:58","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T10:26:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/blog\/?p=1983"},"modified":"2023-02-08T09:55:30","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T09:55:30","slug":"workers-comp-insurance-self-employed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insurancebee.com\/blog\/workers-comp-insurance-self-employed","title":{"rendered":"Workers’ comp insurance for self-employed: do you need it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Illustration<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re self-employed, worker\u2019s comp insurance<\/a> is not usually a state requirement. Ah, that\u2019s great, you\u2019re probably thinking. I can skip that one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


But before you do, there\u2019s a good reason self-employed people should have a workers\u2019 compensation policy. We\u2019ll get to that. First, let\u2019s talk about what workers\u2019 comp insurance is and what it covers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is workers\u2019 comp insurance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n


Workers\u2019 compensation insurance protects employers from the cost of employee claims for workplace illness and injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


A worker\u2019s comp policy typically covers:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Accidents in the workplace or on-site (including injury or loss of limbs)
\u2022 Repetitive motion injuries (such as carpal tunnel damage)
\u2022 Cost of medical treatment
\u2022 Death (and related expenses)<\/p>\n\n\n\n


What\u2019s more, if an injured employee decides to sue, workers\u2019 comp insurance can also take care of the costs of a lawsuit. And as these are currently averaging around $40,000 <\/a>a-piece, it\u2019s a policy worth having.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is worker\u2019s comp insurance required for self-employed?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Under state law, if you\u2019re self-employed, workers\u2019 compensation insurance is not usually required. Unless you have any staff. Then, even if you only have one person working for you, it\u2019s the law in most states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penalties can be severe. So if you do employ anyone, even part-time, check your state\u2019s rules with your Department of Labor. And remember, if someone works for you in another state, you need to check you comply with the rules in that state too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re self-employed and you have no staff, workers\u2019 comp insurance is optional. However, there are some situations when it\u2019s a good policy to have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why self-employed people need workers\u2019 comp insurance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Picture this:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re lifting a heavy box in your office and put your back out. You\u2019re laid-up for two or three weeks, in pain, and unable to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Only after some intensive physical therapy are you up on your feet again. And in the meantime, you\u2019ve missed deadlines and lost income.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now you may have health insurance. But if the accident\u2019s work-related, your policy may not pay out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


That\u2019s when self-employed workers\u2019 comp insurance comes into its own. Because if you suffer an on-the-job illness or injury it covers your medical bills. And if the accident or illness stops you working, it covers your lost income, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Now that\u2019s pretty handy, when you\u2019re flying solo isn\u2019t it? Because if you\u2019re laid up after an accident, who\u2019s running your business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Workers\u2019 comp gives you that extra peace of mind. It means if something happens and you can\u2019t work, your business may temporarily grind to a halt. But your income won\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other reasons to have self-employed workers\u2019 comp<\/h2>\n\n\n\n


There are a couple of other situations when you may need workers\u2019 comp insurance if you\u2019re self-employed. For instance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u2022 If you work in a high-risk industry you\u2019re more likely to suffer a work-related injury. So if your work involves repetitive movement, or exposure to chemicals, workers\u2019 comp is a wise precaution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 In some states self-employed workers\u2019 comp isn\u2019t optional. California, for example, requires self-employed roofers have workers\u2019 comp, even if they have no employees. To be on the safe side, it\u2019s wise to check your state\u2019s Department of Labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 If you\u2019re an independent contractor, you may find clients will only take you on if you have a workers\u2019 comp policy. That’s in case you decide to claim against them for injury or illness you sustained while working for them. If you have your own workers’ comp policy, it means your back’s covered too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information read our blog post what is workers\u2019 compensation insurance and why do I need it?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


For more on the types of business insurance self-employed people need <\/a>check out our website. But if you\u2019d like to talk it through, please feel free to call us. We\u2019re always happy to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re self-employed, worker\u2019s comp insurance is not usually a state requirement. Ah, that\u2019s great, you\u2019re probably thinking. I can skip that one. But before you do, there\u2019s a good reason self-employed people should have a workers\u2019 compensation policy. We\u2019ll … Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[87,66,72],"class_list":["post-1983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-workers-compensation-insurance","tag-business-insurance","tag-freelancers","tag-independent-contractors"],"yoast_head":"\r\nWorkers' comp insurance for self-employed: do you need it?<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Workers' comp: What's legally required if you're self-employed? What does workers' comp cover and how does it protect you? 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