labor lawAdivision of labor law center

We’ve looked at how quite a few different states have changed the maximum benefit payment that workers can get when they’re out on a workers’ comp disability or injury. These maximum benefit payments are meant to help compensate the worker for their lost wages while they are stuck at home and unable to return to their jobs because of the injuries or illness that they sustained while they were on the job.

Florida is not different. Made effective as of January 1, 2007, the Agency for Workforce Innovation in the state of Florida has changed the statewide maximum weekly compensation benefit rate to be $724 per week. They got this calculation by determining the weekly average wage paid out by employers who are subject to the Unemployment Compensation Law in the state for the first four business quarters ending June 30, 2006. That total was $724.23. The Agency for Workforce Innovation then rounded that total to the nearest dollar. All of this mathematics is done according to the section 440.12 (2) of the Florida Statutes.

That is not a sum to be sneezed at by any means, and for most employees, they would be more than happy to earn that amount of money during a week for working on the job, let alone for sitting at home and recuperating. But the question must be asked about really highly paid employees at your company—or for you yourself. What if you get disabled on the job and are unable to work. If you make six figures or more a year at your job, how can you expect this weekly maximum amount of money to sustain you and your family while you are disabled.

These questions go beyond the realm of standard workers’ comp law in Florida, or any state for that matter. That’s something you need to talk over with your insurance company and broker, and with other leaders at your company. It could be that you need a special disability insurance just for the leaders at your company.

Last 10 posts by Mark

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