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Being an employee of any company allows you to receive some perks, fringe benefits and privileges aside from the salary that you regularly receive.

One of the most important benefits that you should get at work is a health benefit or medical plan. Especially for jobs which present risks on your health or on your life, make sure that you are always adequately insured.

First, take a look at the disadvantages to you, as an employee, if you do not have sufficient health benefits from the company that you work for:

- If you suffer from a long-term or temporary illness that would lead you incapable to go to work for a long period of time, your savings can be gone in an instant.

- With the onslaught of hospital bills that you would need to shoulder, other members of your family will be affected as well if you share household expenses.

- Your own personal well-being will be at risk if you do not have ample health benefits.

To prevent these from happening, you should know the basic health benefits that you are entitled to once you become officially employed by a company.

‘Health Benefit Plans for You’

The government offers the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan to assist all workers with their health care needs.

Here, health and dental plans developed by insurance companies and labor unions are offered to employees of the government. The coverage and premiums, however, vary from state to state.

Your employer might have a traditional health insurance company where you will have the option to visit any physician or hospital, and the costs will be covered under the plan that you have.

For employees of private corporations, there is the HMO or the Health Maintenance Organization. Hospitals, doctors, health insurance companies and providers who have are members of a health maintenance organization offer the services.

The advantage of HMO’s over traditional employee health benefit providers is the discounted costs that they offer. Because employers pay them a fixed fee for each person that they hire, they are assured of a steady stream of patients so they can afford to offer discounted rates.

There is also the PPO or the preferred provider organization which consists of health care providers and a health insurance company who provides benefits for employees. This also results in reduced premiums because doctors and hospitals are given a constant number of clients through employees who will utilize their services.

Companies may offer any of these three health insurance coverage.

With health care costs soaring every year, it is your responsibility as an employee to ask about the health care benefits that you are entitled to.

Here are a couple of tips on how you can better understand your health insurance coverage:

1. Read your employee handbook.

A detailed description of the health insurance coverage that you will get should be indicated in the handbook.

2. When in doubt about something, go to your Human Resource Department.

This is important especially for people with medical conditions. Ask about the limitations of the health insurance coverage as well as the deductibles.

You will never know what medical emergency might come up during the time that you are employed. It is better to be prepared and know everything about the health benefits that you are entitled to, rather than asking about them when you are already lying on the hospital bed and not being able to do something about it.

Have you ever been involved in an accident at work? Hopefully the answer is no, but please realize that accidents at work do happen and more often than you may think. Most of the time it’s a matter of a specific hazard but there are a number of procedures that can prevent an accident at work from occurring in the first place.

Your Personal Safety Around The Workplace

Your employers have to make sure that adequate safety measures are in place in and around the whole of your workplace. Accidents are usually an unfortunate event, or usually a series of events, but depending on the type of work that is being carried out, practical and substantial safety measures must be implemented to prevent an accident at work. This keeps the accident risk to a minimum although there is never a 100% certainty that nothing will happen.

Providing Proper Equipment For The Job

Depending on the type of work that you are doing, your employers have to make sure that you are equipped with everything that you need, both physically and in terms of information, to keep you safe. There are several factors that need to be fully addressed like the tasks you have to carry out, the materials involved and the risk factor of your operations. If there is an increased in risk in one or more of your operations you need to be informed in due time of this fact. This risk increase could be the result of a job parameter changing.

Correct Training For Everyone

Suitable training for any job is essential not only for you but also for your colleagues at your workplace. Employers need to make sure that you aren’t being put at risk by other workers. If they are not trained correctly, or for example come drunk to work and something happens to you then the employers are directly responsible and it’s considered a liability.

Employers are directly responsible for the conditions in which you work. There has to be proper ventilation, lighting, safety gear and so on. If one or more of these factors are disregarded and an accident at work happens you are entitled to lodge an accident at work claim.

It is a fact that the majority of people who are entitled to compensation never make a claim. Generally this is because of fear. Fear of the employer, fear of co-workers, fear or losing the job and so on. Most will simply claim sick pay and never report the accident at work. We have a duty to make sure that others do not suffer the same way and that proper safety procedures are implemented. This is not being a troublemaker. If your injury has been caused by negligence then make a claim.

This is important: Do not ignore the accident. If it has happened to you then it will happen to someone else as well. Apart from financial compensation, your action in making a claim and highlighting the problem helps others and could even save lives. People don’t go looking for an accident at work so there is no need to feel guilty.

So, basically you have 2 options:

1. Request An Accident At Work Claim Form.
If you think that what happened is because of neglect or ignorance then go ahead and make a claim.

Do not be threatened either by management or other workers. The fact of the matter is that you suffered an injury which should not have happened. It’s easy for others to stand back and criticize. The employers have a duty of care toward all their employees and visitors.

2. Claim Your Sick Pay And Do Nothing Else.
Think carefully before you decide to do nothing about it. An accident at work is a hazardous thing and you have to know your options in case something goes wrong.

You should always make notes of any relevant facts as soon as you are able even if you are not going to make a claim. You may change your mind and without facts it will be difficult to make a claim for your accident at work at a later date.