Workers' Comp as a Marriott Employee*

More and more people are choosing to work in the hospitality industry. The good news is that there are lots of opportunities for people who want to work for hotels chains like Marriott.

Yet, as exciting as a job at the Marriott may be, what would you do if you got hurt on the job? Could you make your house payment?

Could you put food on the table?

On the job injuries are a very real occurrence for people around the nation.

Workers’ Compensation: Security for Injured Workers

Each state has a law in place that says most employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance. It is provided to employees at no cost to them.

If you are hurt or made sick from your work environment, workers’ compensation is put in place to help pay for any expenses associated with your injury or illness and it often provides a portion of your lost wages if you can’t return to work.

It’s a safety net for injured workers.

Common Risks to Marriott Employees

Marriott hires many types of workers. There are bell hops who handle bags, front desk workers who handle booking and customer service, and housekeepers who maintain an orderly place of business.

There are other positions, but those are the three most common positions.

Each has their own innate risks:

Bell hops who carry baggage are at risk of injuring their necks, backs, and shoulders. Slipping and falling on a hard floor can also cause a head injury.
Repeating the same movements over and over can cause bell hops to develop repetitive stress syndrome.
Front desk workers stand on their feet for most of the day. Working on computers can lead to repetitive stress syndrome.
Wearing dress shoes without proper traction can cause you to slip and fall, as well.
Housekeepers carry around heavy cleaning equipment and also work with chemicals. Chemical cleaners can cause burns and the fumes can make you sick.
Lifting heavy equipment can cause you to hurt your back or neck.

Hurt During Your Shift at Marriott? Follow These Steps

If you’re hurt, stop what you’re doing. Tell you supervisor right away. If you’re using harsh cleaning solvents and feel sick, leave the room and get away from the fumes.
Letting your supervisor know means that the risk can be taken care of to protect others. It also protects you from making your injury worse by continuing to work.
Talk to your supervisor or ask to speak with the HR rep so that you can start your workers’ compensation claim. You will need to complete an accident report right away so that you can write down everything that happened.
In the case of a chemical burn, head injury, or back injury you will want to call 911. The responding officer will complete a police report and give you a report number. You can get a copy of the report at a later date.
Get medical care. If you have a medical emergency, call 911. This is particularly important if you are short of breath after being exposes to chemicals.
Ask your manager or HR rep about how you can make an appointment with the doctor listed on the workers’ compensation policy.
That’s usually free for people who have filed a workers’ comp claim. You can see your own doctor, but you’ll likely have to pay out of pocket for that visit.
Keep any receipts for things that you pay for out of pocket related to your injury. You may be reimbursed.

Examples of Marriott Workers’ Compensation Claim

If you have been injured working for the Marriott hotel chain you should be entitled to workers’ compensation as long as you can prove that the injury took place at work. The first thing you need to do is report your injury to your supervisor.

This is typically required within 24 hours of your injury taking place. If you are in hospital and are incapacitated you should ask a work colleague or family member to do this for you.

You should receive the cost of your medical treatment immediately, whether your WC claim has been approved or not. However, there may be a wait period before your temporary disability payments (lost wages) are paid. This is usually 5 working days but state requirements do vary.

Many states have a retroactive pay period too, which is typically 21 days from your injury. So if you are off work for say 22 days, day 1 to 5 should be paid to you. If you are off work for less than 21 days you will not be entitled for disability payments for day 1 to 5. You can expect to receive approximately two thirds of your pay in disability payments.

Example of Calculation of Settlement at the Marriott

As an example, let’s say Donald was working as a barman at a Marriott hotel bar and tripped over a bar stool while collecting empty glasses causing him to lose consciousness as he hit a table. He was rushed to hospital and lay unconsciousness over night. He suffered slight brain damage and was disoriented and suffering from memory loss and he ended up taking 20 days off work.

In the state where the accident took place the wait period for disability payments is 5 days while the retroactive period is 21 days. His pay was $9 per hour for a 40 hour week. He doesn’t get paid for the 5 day wait period because the 20 days he took off didn’t quite reach the 21 retroactive pay period for that state. His total disability payments would be calculated as follows:

all medical treatment is paid for.
temporary disability payments are 2/3rds of $9 = $6 x 40 hours = $240 x 15 days = $3,600.

Example of Workers’ Compensation Claim at the Marriott in New York

As another example, let’s say Lena was working in the kitchen at the Marriott when her hand slipped while slicing ham and she severed her arm at the wrist. She was rushed to hospital and on arrival her arm could not be saved. This is classified as a permanent partial disability so Lena is entitled to two-thirds of her average weekly wage in workers’ compensation for 312 weeks.

Because the accident happened in New York there is a waiting period of 7 days before she can receive her workers’ compensation entitlement. If she does not return to work due to her injury for at least 14 days she is entitled to receive retroactive disability payments for the first 7 days.

Her worker’s compensation entitlements include the full cost of her medical treatment plus 312 days of disability payments.

Her hourly pay is $7 per hour
she works an 8 hour day for 40 hours per week.
She will receive 2/3rds of $7 = $4.65 per hour X 8 = $37.20 per day
$37.20 X 5= $186 per week.
312 weeks X $186 = $58,032 in worker’s compensation.

Marriott Hotel in Nebraska Worker’s Compensation Claim

A woman who was employed by the Marriott at North Platte, Nebraska filed a worker’s compensation claim with her employer after experiencing a lifting injury which injured her hand. It developed into chronic pain syndrome as diagnosed by the treating doctor. After being examined by other doctors they came to the conclusion that her injury may not be work based. However, she eventually won her case and was awarded $110000 in worker’s compensation.

Get Legal Help

Don’t sign anything from the workers’ compensation adjuster. You could be signing away your rights. Get legal help. Make an appointment with a workers’ compensation attorney. You can learn about your rights and make sure that you get what you deserve.

*The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Marriott, you may not be entitled to any compensation.