Employee Rights

Employees have rights under the Michigan disability compensation laws:

• Employees who have not returned to work but retain the ability to perform employment paying less than what they earned before their injury may also be entitled to continuing partial benefits.
• Wage loss benefits for the period of the disability, commencing on the 8th day after the injury, if the disability lasts more than one week. If the disability lasts greater than two weeks, then payment is owed from the date of injury. Specific amounts of compensation will depend on the date and type of injury. Even if an employee returns to work, the employee may be entitled to continued partial wage loss benefits if the job to which they return after injury pays less than they were making before the injury.
• Medical care and treatment, commencing immediately.
• Vocational rehabilitation, which may include job counseling, guidance, specialized job placement or retraining.
• Death benefits: if an employee dies as a result of an injury or work-related disease, the employer is responsible for payment of the reasonable expenses of the employee's last sickness, funeral and burial. Funeral and burial expenses are limited at $6,000 or the actual cost.
• Death benefits are payable to the dependents of a deceased employee who died because of a work-related injury or disease.