Though you may think your biggest stress as a waiter or waitress is facing an unhappy customer, the threat of injury while on the job is also alarming.
Workers’ compensation applies to injuries that occur while on the job site, and these benefits extend beyond obviously dangerous working conditions like construction sites or industrial warehouses. Restaurant jobs carry some injury risk and can require the need for workers’ compensation.
Potential injuries
When working as a waitstaff, there are a number of injuries to be aware of. If you are busy clearing tables and accidentally drop a tray laden with dishes on your foot, you could suffer a fracture, break or another injury to your foot or toes. There is the potential for cuts and scrapes when handling cutlery or cleaning broken glass from a customer’s accident. You could also slip and fall when moving around the kitchen or dining area, causing a sprain, back injury or another injury. Plenty of injuries could lead you to miss work or render you unable to do your normal duties because of pain and discomfort.
Potential claims
Waitstaff are always busy. The job description requires moving from table to table, making multiple trips through the kitchen and dining room and handling whatever tasks arise that deal with customer satisfaction. This can lead to a wide range of injury claims from falls, scrapes, muscle sprains or broken or fractured bones.
If you suffer an injury at work, it is important to report the incident right away and seek medical treatment. Your employer has a specific process for reporting and filing a workers’ compensation claim.
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