If you contract COVID-19, you may have many questions and concerns regarding your diagnosis. Since you will not be able to return to work with a positive diagnosis, you may wonder if you are eligible for workers’ compensation.
Minnesota signed a new law into effect in April of 2020, which describes COVID-19 as an occupational disease for frontline workers. If you are not on the list of professionals that the new law applies to, however, you may still have options for receiving workers’ compensation.
Who is a frontline worker?
According to the Minnesota Department of Labor, the law describes a frontline worker as someone who is one of the following:
- A firefighter, peace officer, emergency medical technician or paramedic
- Certain employees at correctional facilities, detention centers or secure treatment facilities
- Certain employees in the healthcare section working with patients who have COVID-19
- People who provide daycare for any of the abovementioned workers
If you work in one of these professions and you contract COVID-19, the law automatically presumes it is related to work. Workers in these professions have more risk of contracting COVID-19 because of their work.
What if I am not a frontline worker?
If you are not a frontline worker and you contract COVID-19, you may still be eligible for workers’ compensation, if the illness is related to your workplace. You may have to prove that you caught COVID-19 at your place of employment in order to qualify for benefits.
Regardless of your profession, if you contract COVID-19 at work, it is beneficial to start a workers’ compensation claim as soon as possible.