A workplace injury can affect nearly every part of your life. You may worry about your health, your paycheck and your family’s financial security. Some injured workers hesitate to file a workers’ compensation claim because they fear losing their jobs.
Connecticut employees have the right to seek workers’ compensation benefits after a work-related injury or illness. State law also prohibits employers from retaliating against workers for exercising those rights.
Connecticut law protects workers from retaliation
Retaliation can take several forms, including:
- Terminating your employment after you report a work injury
- Cutting your hours or changing your work schedule
- Removing job duties or lowering your position
- Harassing you because you filed a claim
- Pressuring you to return before a doctor clears you to work
Employers cannot terminate or discriminate against you simply because you file a workers’ compensation claim or seek benefits after a workplace injury. These protections apply in many industries, including construction, health care and manufacturing.
Signs that your firing may be related to your claim
Not every job loss after a workplace injury amounts to unlawful retaliation. However, the timing of your firing and the events around it can raise questions.
For example, an employer may terminate an employee shortly after the employee files a workers’ compensation claim. An employer may also begin documenting performance issues that did not exist before the injury or complain about time missed for medical treatment. While these actions do not prove retaliation on their own, they can become important parts of the overall picture.
What happens to your workers’ compensation claim?
A job loss does not automatically end a workers’ compensation claim. In Connecticut, the workplace injury and the firing may involve separate legal issues. Depending on the facts, a worker may continue pursuing workers’ compensation benefits while questions about the termination receive separate review under state law.
Connecticut law recognizes workers’ rights
Losing a job after a workplace injury can create financial strain for any family. The effects can be especially serious for construction workers and other laborers whose jobs depend on physical work and years of experience.
Connecticut’s anti-retaliation law reflects an important principle. Workers should not have to risk their livelihoods to seek benefits after a job-related injury. When employers retaliate against injured employees, the law provides ways to challenge those actions and hold employers accountable.
