Whole Foods is the leading retail provider of the finest organic and natural products. They promote healthy eating and living which makes it an excellent place to shop and work. If you work for Whole Foods and get hurt during your shift, could you still pay your monthly bills? Are you prepared for loss of income if you can no longer work? The State Protects Injured Workers There is a safety net put into place for injured employees. Each state has a law that requires most employers to have a workers’ compensation policy in place. If you are injured on the job, workers’ compensation can help get you the medical care that you need. In cases where employees cannot work due to their injury, workers’ compensation may provide a portion of their wages. Company Profile: Whole Foods Whole Foods is headquartered in Austin, TX. It is legally incorporated as Whole Foods Market. There are more than 431 Whole Food stores in the United States with around 91,000 employees. Risks Faced By Whole Foods Employees Within the Whole Foods work environment, there are risks that every employee faces as a part of their job. Employees stock products, prepare food, clean, and help shoppers. Common injury risks for Whole Foods employees include, but are not limited to: Slip and Fall – Whole Food employees are at risk to slip and fall. Spilled milk, broken eggs, or a mopped floor can create a hazardous situation that can hurt employees. Slips and falls are common and may seem minor, but they can cause more damage than many realize. The result could be a torn muscle, broken bone, a permanent back injury, or a closed head injury. Heavy Lifting – Lifting heavy boxes is common task. The simple act of lifting a box to stock new product may result in pulled muscles, a slipped disc, a shoulder strain, or even permanent back injuries. Ladders – Stocking and helping customers reach products placed on higher shelves can result in falls. This can result in extreme pain, head injuries, or permanent damage to the spine. There are many other situations that can cause risk. A few may come to mind as you recall your daily work routine. Hurt During Your Shift? If you are hurt during your shift, you should consider filing a workers’ compensation claim. However, there are some other things that you can do to protect yourself. Do not wait until the end of your shift to inform your manager of your injury. Continuing to work can make even minor injuries worse. Additionally, if you slip and fall, your manager should be made aware so that they can clean it up to protect others in the store by leaning up the spill. If you hit your head or if you are cut deeply during food prep, get emergency medical care. Ask your manager how you can file a workers’ compensation claim. This will also involve filling out an accident report. If you call 911 for a medical emergency, a police officer will provide you with a policy number and details on how to get a copy of the police report. Ask your Manager or HR rep for a list of doctors that can treat your injury at no charge. You can see your own doctor, but you may have to pay out of pocket for your visit. Keep your receipts. You may qualify for reimbursement. How To File a Claim Against Whole Foods Whole Foods is a large food retailer that has grown over the years and now employs workers in all sorts of capacities across the country. If you were employed stocking shelves and you have had the misfortune to have suffered a broken leg when you tripped and fell over a carton while filling shelves in the store you work in you, should be entitled to workers’ compensation to cover the cost of the medical treatment for the injury and the lost wages while you recover. Steps to Take to File a Workers’ Compensation When Injured Stocking Shelves at Whole Foods Depending on the severity of your injury the first thing you need to do is seek medical treatment. Some companies require that their employees are only treated at a company appointed medical center by a company appointed doctor. If you don’t wish to follow this protocol then you may find that Whole Foods workers’ compensation insurer is not prepared to pay you workers’ compensation at least not for the medical treatment. As soon as possible you need to write an accident report and lodge it with your supervisor. This typically has a deadline attached to it, which could be anything from 24 hours to 7 days following the accident. If you miss this deadline you may find your claim has been denied. Now you need to get a workers’ compensation claim form. You may find your employer has one but failing this you should try your state’s workers’ compensation board. Once you have it in your hands you will have to complete it as soon as possible. If you miss this deadline you may find your claim has been denied. Now you need to get a workers’ compensation claim form. You may find your employer has one but failing this you should try your state’s workers’ compensation board. Once you have it in your hands you will have to complete it as soon as possible. You will need to include the following information: your full name; your job at Whole Foods; The type of injury you have; When and how the injury happened; Names of any other employee involved in the accident. Examples of Evidence that Can be Used in a Whole Foods’ WC Claim No workers’ compensation claim is complete unless it is backed up by sound evidence supporting the claim. There are a number of documents you should provide as evidence when you file your workers’ compensation claim with Whole Foods workers’ compensation insurers. These are as follows: Evidence that you reported your accident and injury to your Whole Foods supervisor within the deadline provided; Written, signed reports from reliable eye witnesses; Photographs taken at the accident scene showing the hazard you tripped over; Video taken from Whole Foods in store surveillance cameras; Your doctor’s report detailing the your injuries and your likely recovery time; Receipts which show medical treatment you have paid for; Unpaid invoices for further treatment already received. If you think you need some help with compiling the evidence you should talk to an experienced workers’ compensation insurer who will check your claim’s form with you. The commonest reasons for denying workers’ compensation claims is failing to report your accident by the set deadline and not having sufficient witness who will vouch that your injury took place while you were at work. Calculating Workers’ Comp Settlement After breaking your leg when you arrive at the emergency room the doctor will conduct an X-ray. If no surgery is required it will probably cost around $2,500 which includes the X-ray, the resetting of the bone, the cast, plus pain medications to ease the burden of the pain. There shouldn’t be any additional cost for removing the cast when the time is right. You may have to pay around $200 for the ambulance to get you to the emergency room but you will probably have to find your own way home at your expense. For more serious breaks where surgery is required, the costs could run into thousands. These are more common in vehicle accidents where the impact is far greater than a trip and fall in a Whole Foods. Learn More About Workers’ Compensation If you are having trouble getting workers’ compensation benefits or want to learn more about your rights, you should talk to an experienced lawyer who specializes in workers’ comp. Consulting an attorney may help you answer any questions or concerns that you have. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Whole Foods Markets, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
