Dec 9, 2021
Do You Get Paid for Holidays While on Workers’ Comp?
Nate Hansford
Odds are that if you are on workers’ compensation after a workplace injury and are collecting disability pay benefits, you probably aren’t actively going to work. It might even be that your physician has ordered that you stay home and rest as much as possible.
Although you might be getting a portion of your regular wages through workers’ comp benefits, if you aren’t clocking in and out, then you probably aren’t eligible for special forms of payment. For example, you might be wondering if you can get holiday pay while collecting workers’ compensation? For most people, the answer is no.
Workers’ compensation can give you two-thirds of your average weekly pre-injury wages. It typically does not account for unique pay benefits that happen for specific reasons or on certain days, such as a holiday.
Special Workers’ Comp Contracts
Holiday pay isn’t always excluded from workers’ compensation benefits, though. Some workers’ compensation contracts will include an increase for missed holiday pay if all workers get that day off and receive holiday pay for it.
Union members are more likely to be given holiday pay through workers’ compensation benefits, too. Unions are meant to negotiate on behalf of workers to improve their quality of life. Such negotiations often cover workers’ compensation contracts, and it might be argued that holiday pay must be factored into disability pay to keep matters fair for workers who were hurt on the job and live paycheck to paycheck.
Review Your Workers’ Comp Benefits
There is a lot of room in workers’ compensation contracts for variances, especially when considering unique topics like holiday pay. To see if you can expect some coverage for a holiday that you were unable to work, a good starting point is to simply review your workers’ compensation policy that is provided by your employer. If you aren’t familiar with the legal jargon in such a policy, then you should reach out to a local workers’ compensation attorney.
