workers' compensation

noun

variants or less commonly workers' comp

-ˈkämp

: a system of insurance that reimburses an employer for damages that must be paid to an employee for injury occurring in the course of employment

Examples of workers' compensation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Cooper said the agency failed to correctly include her husband's workers' compensation in its calculations. —

David Hilzenrath, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2023 Gibson is still employed by FedEx but is on workers' compensation leave, Moore said. —

CBS News, 17 Aug. 2023 If a worker who dies on a worksite is classified as an employee, then New Mexico law considers that a workers' compensation case, under which relatively modest damages – hundreds of thousands of dollars – could be collected, Rahmani says. —

Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2022 Rideshare companies are also required to provide drivers with sick leave and workers' compensation. —

Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 25 May 2023 Minnesota is one of about 15 states with a COVID-19 workers' compensation presumption for first responders and health care workers. —

Joe Carlson, Star Tribune, 27 Apr. 2021 Peck's workers' compensation claim was never approved. —

Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2023 Alternatively, your company could assign a workers' compensation insurance provider to conduct the study. —

Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2023 Abigail Zwerner in Virginia on March 20.Carlos Bernate for NBC News Lawyer Jeffrey Breit disagreed with the idea that Zwerner's negligence suit should be a workers' compensation claim under Virginia law since theoretically, workers can't sue their own employers. —

Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'workers' compensation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of workers' compensation was in 1925

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near workers' compensation

worker-priest

workers' compensation

work ethic

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Workers' compensation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/workers%27%20compensation. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

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Legal Definition

workers' compensation

noun

work·ers' compensation

: compensation for injury to an employee arising out of and in the course of employment that is paid to the worker or his or her dependents by an employer whose strict liability for such compensation is established by statute

Note: Where established by statute, workers' compensation is generally the exclusive remedy for injuries arising from employment, with some exceptions. Workers' compensation statutes commonly include explicit exclusions for injury caused intentionally, by willful misconduct, and by voluntary intoxication from alcohol or illegal drugs.

: workers' compensation insurance