Realities of Workers’ Compensation Coverage for Agricultural Workers: Before, During, and into the Future of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bent, Brian ; Ramos, Athena K. ; Schofield, Katherine ; Weichelt, Bryan P.
• Description:
  There are many inconsistencies in WC coverage for agricultural workers, and COVID-19 exposed gaps even for workers that were seemingly protected. Mandatory, across-the-board coverage may be unrealistic, but other innovative approaches should be considered. Risk management outreach for small and/or exempt agricultural establishments could convince some to voluntarily purchase coverage. WC can prevent litigation against employers in the event of an injury claim. For a controlled cost (premium), the employer manages their unknown potential legal risk, and WC helps injured employees with medical and lost wages, a win-win. WC affordability, when compared to health or other supplemental insurance, could be shown to be a better option. On a federal level, agricultural establishments that apply/use federal funding (e.g., USDA farm loans) could be required to purchase WC (like the H-2A program) and provide a safety plan before accessing federal funds. Agriculture might also need a WC model all of its own; a federal or state-level WC-style pool or consortium could be enacted to protect workers post-injury. If the approach encompassed health benefits, it would negate the requirement of work-relatedness or increased risk that was required for WC COVID-19 claims and provide greater protection for workers. Academic institutions, legislators, and stakeholders, along with agriculture research centers, must expand the body of knowledge around WC coverage and its impact on agricultural economics and the broader food system. The industry and the entire food system is diversifying and evolving, while the demand for workers will continue to be a concern in the coming decade. Employers are encouraged to provide WC regardless of whether it is required. This could be part of a more comprehensive compensation package to promote the recruitment and retention of workers, instead of continuing to depend on vulnerable populations, including youth. COVID-19 highlighted the essential nature of those in the agrifood system to our economy and society. It is more relevant than ever to consider what happens when our agricultural workers are sick or injured. What protections are in place to care for them? And if they cannot work, who will? [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Communicable Diseases Food-Processing Industry Food Industry Occupational Health Safety Virus Diseases
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Workers Author Keywords: COVID-19 COVID-19 Food Processing Industry Injury And Illness Meat Packing Industry Vulnerable Workers Workers' Compensation Workers Compensation
• ISSN:
  1059-924X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Minnesota ; Nebraska ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 7 ; Wisconsin
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  5 pdf pages
• Volume:
  28
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067459
• Citation:
  J Agromedicine 2023 Jan; 28(1):69-72
• Contact Point Address:
  Katherine Schofield, Department of Mechanical and Indistrial Engineering, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, USA
• Email:
  kscho@d.umn.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Nebraska Medical Center - Omaha
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20110901
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Agromedicine
• End Date:
  20270831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:74e570cc7cb1be7b7b54bf86c03eb8d1b43151475f42a1caac173fdde6b4e222b7b88ef622b437805448522452f219aab6126d529a88aec980a429ba79174bdd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230633/cdc_230633_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 625.58 KB ]