Most people who employ staff to manage their households do not consider offering their employees traditional workplace benefits. However, protecting those who care for your home and loved ones should take precedence.
Workers’ compensation insurance is an essential benefit to consider offering anyone you hire to work in your Georgia home.
Is workers’ compensation insurance necessary?
Georgia mandates that those who employ domestic workers are responsible for paying various state and federal taxes, including social security, unemployment and payroll. However, they are exempt from providing health and workers’ compensation insurance. Although most household employers overlook workers’ compensation for their staff, offering this coverage provides numerous benefits.
Why should I consider workers’ compensation for my domestic employees?
Although many believe that their home owner’s or renter’s insurance will cover their household employees’ work and illness-related expenses, this assumption is faulty. In Georgia, these policies do not cover domestic employees; therefore, workers’ compensation insurance is essential.
Coverage reduces an employer’s liability if a child’s nanny, a senior’s caregiver, or another employee sustains an injury or illness while performing a household job. It covers medical expenses, physical therapy, lost wages, medication and other costs. Household employers who do not carry workers’ compensation insurance may need to pay out-of-pocket for these costs and risk being targets of lawsuits for damages by their employees. However, workers’ compensation insurance protects domestic employers from financially devastating liability while ensuring their employees receive appropriate care and continue to cover their living expenses.
Nannies and other domestic employees perform physical tasks making them susceptible to various injuries. Therefore, although Georgia does not require workers’ compensation coverage for those working in a home, this benefit is invaluable for protecting domestic workers and their employers.
