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Should I Accept a Workers’ Comp Wage Continuation Plan in Ohio?

Helping Me, That's HNB

What to Know about Workers’ Compensation vs. Salary Continuation from Your Employer after an Injury

When you’re hurt on the job and can’t work, filing for workers’ compensation Temporary Total Disability Compensation (TTDC) is the most common route to get economic relief.

In Ohio, there’s another option that could benefit both you and your employer: a wage continuation plan.

Your employer can offer to pay you—or you can request to be paid—your full weekly wages and benefits in lieu of TTDC benefits. You get your full salary, rather than TTDC’s reduced lost wages pay, and your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance premiums don’t go up because of your claim.

Unless your union and your employer have a collective bargaining agreement that says otherwise, workers’ compensation wage continuation—also known as a salary continuation plan—is completely optional. Both sides must agree to it.

Everybody wins, right? It’s a little more complicated than that.

There are some nuances to wage continuation plans that you should understand before entering into an agreement. An experienced Ohio workers’ compensation attorney can look over any offer and give you the best advice on how to proceed.

At Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal (HNB), we help anyone in any occupation who has been hurt at work in Ohio—thousands of people and counting.

If you live in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton or anywhere in Ohio, let’s find the workers’ compensation approach that gives you and your family the most secure future.

“Helping me, that’s HNB.”

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    How Does Wage Continuation Workers’ Compensation Work in Ohio?

    Wage continuation lets you keep 100% of your income and benefits and can save your employer money on workers’ compensation premiums.

    YOU MUST ACT QUICKLY. You have to make an agreement on salary continuation after your injury but before you were scheduled to receive your next paycheck.

    That means not waiting for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) to decide on your application for TTDC benefits.

    Often, employers make the mistake of waiting the 14 days it takes for the first seven days after an accident to become eligible for lost wage payments.

    By then it’s too late to enter a wage continuation plan because you have likely missed a payment period. At that point, the BWC will put you on temporary disability.

    If you do agree to wage continuation, it lasts until you go back to work. You or your employer can decide to end a wage continuation plan at any time, at which point the BWC will put you on TTDC if you still qualify.

    TTDC benefits pay 72% of your lost wages for the first 12 weeks you cannot work due to your job injury and 66.6% after that.

    When you’re considering asking for or accepting a wage continuation plan, the work injury lawyers at HNB can look at your case and help you decide if it’s best for your situation.

    HNB attorneys have secured over $500,000,000.00 in awards, benefits and settlements for our injury clients across a span of over 40 years.

    We’ll review your case for free, and there is no attorney fee unless we collect something for you.

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    What to Consider When Deciding on Ohio Wage Continuation Workers’ Compensation

    A wage continuation plan could be a great option for many employees.

    • There are no gaps in your pay. You can focus on healing rather than your finances.
    • You don’t lose any seniority benefits you have accrued at your job.
    • You don’t have to use sick or vacation time while you’re recovering.
    • Workers’ compensation continues to cover your medical expenses related to your injury.
    • It’s completely optional.

    But there are risks.

    • Your employer can choose to end wage continuation at any time.
    • The BWC may schedule medical exams to test your ability to return to work, limitations you have because of your injury, how well your treatment is working, or whether you’ve reached your maximum medical improvement (MMI). MMI won’t impact your wage continuation plan, but improvements in health that clear you for light duty work could.
    • Your wage continuation payments are just that: wages. Therefore, they are subject to taxes when TTDC benefits are not.

    It’s a lot to consider, and you have to process this fast.

    At HNB, our mission is helping injured Ohioans get the workers’ compensation benefits they deserve. We built our reputation on caring and acting quickly so you can enjoy stability in your life.

    Give HNB a call today and let’s see if wage continuation is right for you.

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