What Should I Do, If I Suspect My Employee Of Workers Compensation Fraud

In today's difficult economy, workers' compensation fraud is becoming a greater concern among business owners and professionals. People are attempting to get money however they can, and if they can skim as much as possible out of their workers' compensation payments, they will attempt to do so. If you suspect your employee is exaggerating or faking a workplace illness to get free money, there are a number of legal actions you can take.

First and foremost, you should consult with a lawyer near you. A good lawyer can help to keep your workers' compensation insurance provider from raising your rates or having to pay an employee out of pocket. A workers' compensation attorney will help to bring your company a fair and equitable settlement.

What Does Workers' Compensation Fraud Look Like

Fraud may be as blatant as faking an illness or injury, or it may be more subtle. Obviously, if an employee is supposedly on bed rest and you see him or her in the grocery store on Saturday, you might suspect fraud. You can take this evidence to your lawyer. Furthermore, if you believe that an employee's time spent convalescing is overly long or if you think that an injury was not sustained on the job, you should take note of any related evidence and present it to your lawyer. This is often what workers' compensation looks like: exaggeration of symptoms or circumstances. An attorney will let you know if your observation or argument will hold up in court.

Tips for What to Do

Read on if you want to know some ways you might be able to check if your employee is committing fraud and how to go about receiving justice.

• Contact your injured workers regularly. Check up on their health and see how they are feeling.
• Contact your state's workers' compensation committee or board and make sure your employee's records are all in order.
• Do not let an employee know that you believe that he or she is committing fraud. Instead, contact an attorney and see if your hunch can be substantiated before you make any legal claims.