Your Guide to Workers’ Compensation for Bridal Shops
As an entrepreneur and bridal shop owner, you most likely will work hard every day to provide brides with a memorable shopping experience.
You might want to know that your business and your employees are protected during your day-to-day operations. This is where Workers’ Compensation can come into play.
Like almost any business, you might want to prioritize the safety and well-being of your employees. We know how complex starting and running a bridal shop can be, so we've put this guide together.
Below, you'll read about the key aspects of bridal shop Workers' Compensation and more. Keep reading to learn about how you can continue to run your bridal shop and focus on your clients while worrying less about the financial impact of employee injuries.
What Is Workers' Compensation?
As you're creating your bridal shop business plan, you should understand the fundamentals of Workers’ Compensation. It's a form of insurance coverage that can provide your employees with financial and medical benefits if they're hurt on the job.
It's also a legal requirement in most areas. It can protect your employees, as well as you, as the bridal shop owner.
You may be wondering why it's important for you and your shop. Well, your employees will likely be performing various tasks that could put them at risk of an injury.
They'll be handling merchandise, assisting customers, and managing inventory. While it may not seem dangerous, falls, slips, and accidents can happen at any time. Having a comprehensive policy can help ensure those working in your shop are safe.
The last thing you might want is for someone to get hurt and not have adequate coverage. Being prepared for the worst can not only help you achieve peace of mind but it can also help to protect you from unexpected situations.
Why It's Important for Bridal Shops
If you've never purchased business insurance or opened a bridal shop, you may not know why having bridal shop insurance can be important. Most days, your employees will be handling heavy gowns. There's a risk they could trip and fall and get hurt.
Without proper coverage, you could face fines and penalties by the state. If you don't have Workers' Compensation, your employees could file a lawsuit against you.
You may be responsible for medical expenses and lost wages. Depending on the severity of the injury, it could financially impact your business. Having coverage could help take care of expenses associated with the workplace injury.
Even if that isn't the case, the absence of insurance could lead to a loss of trust between you and your employees. They may feel as if you don't care about their well-being. This could also be bad for your business, as you might not want to lose good employees.
What's Included
When you're looking for bridal shop insurance to help protect your company and employees, you should know what's included. It can be important to know that each policy is different. Doing your research and asking questions can help ensure you get an insurance plan that is best for you.
Workers' Compensation could cover lost wages. If someone's hurt at work and can't do their job, Workers' Compensation may provide partial payment during the recovery period.
It could also cover medical bills. Hospital stays, medications, and surgeries can be expensive. Bridal shop insurance can help take care of those expenses.
Workers' Compensation can also help cover treatment costs. Your policy may even cover injuries that occur from repetitive motions and accidents.
Healing can take some time and having support can make a difference. Workers' Compensation is designed to help provide your employees with ongoing support.
What's Not Included
Now that you know what the Workers' Compensation policy will likely cover, you should understand what's not included. If your employees are injured on the job while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, the insurance policy probably won't cover the damages.
Employees should follow company procedures. If they are purposely doing tasks wrong or getting hurt intentionally, they likely will not be compensated.
Most insurance policies won't cover an employee if they start a physical fight or instigate violence in the workplace. For a worker to be covered, the injury must occur while they are on the job.
If they are off duty or not on the premises, they may not be compensated by your policy. You can always reach out to one of our representatives to discuss what is and isn’t covered by your policy.
Owner's Duties
Besides possibly having a legal obligation to provide Workers' Compensation, you likely have several other responsibilities as a business owner. You should spend time reading through the details of your coverage.
The more you understand it, the better. You should know which types of injuries are covered and what the limitations are.
You also have a duty to report injuries right away. You'll need to inform your insurance provider promptly to help ensure the claims process goes smoothly for all involved parties.
When you manage a bridal shop, you should think about implementing safety measures. It can help prevent injuries.
Providing proper training and keeping the shop clean and organized helps reduce hazards. If a potential hazard appears, you should address it immediately.
You may also want to talk with and listen to your employees. They may notice a hazard that you didn't. If they feel unsafe or uncomfortable in your shop, try to resolve the issues before someone gets hurt.
Employees Responsibilities
Your employees also have the responsibility of reporting issues and injuries to you as soon as they happen. Informing and educating your team about timely reporting can help ensure the process begins promptly.
It can help them get the medical attention they might need as quickly as possible. If there is an injury, your employee should seek medical attention.
This can be crucial as you'll likely need documentation for the Workers' Compensation claim. Even if an injury seems small or minor, it can be important to get medical care. This can help protect you and your employees if the issue becomes bigger in the future.
There are several forms that you and your employees might need to fill out when they suffer a work-related injury. Your employees have the responsibility of providing accurate and true information.
Finally, processing a bridal shop Workers' Compensation claim can be time-consuming. During this time, your employees are expected to cooperate with you. They should answer the insurance provider's questions and attend medical appointments and examinations when necessary.
Steps to Follow
Knowing what to do when an accident happens is crucial. You'll first want to ensure everyone is safe, including the injured employee. If there is still a risk someone could get hurt, you should move everyone to safety if possible. You don't want another injury to happen while you're helping the injured employee.
You'll then encourage your employee to seek medical attention. If they're hurt badly, you may need to call an ambulance.
You should thoroughly document the incident and include as many details as possible. This includes the date, location, time, and the injury. If there are any witnesses, take their statements.
Contact your Workers' Compensation carrier. They will help you with the next steps and provide you with any claim forms that need to be filled out.
Be sure to communicate with your employees. Update them on the status of their claim and ensure they are healing and doing well.
Finding Coverage
This information may seem overwhelming. You should know that you aren't alone. Workers' Compensation insurance can be confusing.
The two best things you can do when creating your bridal shop business plan are to educate yourself and work with a professional. Having a trusted insurance representative or agent by your side can help make purchasing bridal shop insurance easier.
It can also make filing a claim less stressful. A reliable insurance provider will be there for you if you have questions about your coverage or bridal shop policies.
Asking questions can help you understand the policies better and help you prepare for the future. We've listed a few below so you know where to start when you talk with one of our representatives.
- What does your Workers' Compensation insurance cover?
- Are all my employees covered?
- What is the waiting period for benefits?
- How can I adjust my policy as my business grows?
Bridal Shop Insurance Coverage
Owning a bridal shop can be a lot of fun. However, you might spend a significant amount of time considering the fundamentals of creating a safe space for your clients and your employees.
By understanding the information above, you can help set yourself up for success. There's a lot of information about Workers' Compensation.
Our team knows how hard it can be to run a business. That's why getting coverage with PolicySweet® only takes three steps. Get in touch here!