Protect yourself
Familiarize yourself with workplace injury laws in your state, including workers' compensation, medical leave policies and protections against wrongful termination.
If you’ve been injured at work, you may be entitled to certain protections or compensation. However, workers’ compensation is primarily administered by state governments and the federal government has no oversight, according to the Department of Labor. That’s why it’s so important to learn the rules that apply in your state.
At the federal level, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires employers to provide workers with unpaid, job-protected leave for medical and family reasons. However, this law doesn’t guarantee immunity from termination. Employers can still fire employees “by showing that the employee would have been fired even if he or she had not taken FMLA leave,” according to Melissa Pesce of the law firm Ogletree Deakins.
Navigating this complex system can be challenging, so consulting a legal professional may help you understand your rights and obligations after a workplace injury.
In the meantime, there are ways you can help improve the system for all workers.
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Explore better ratesAdvocate for better labor protections
Across the country, workers are striking back to improve their conditions and strengthen protections. In 2022, the Amazon Labor Union unionized warehouse workers at JFK8 in Staten Island, New York City and joined the Teamsters in 2024.
Workers at the Amazon facility in Garner, North Carolina are set to vote on whether to join a union from February 10 to February 15, according to a post on X by Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity & Empowerment. Workers at Starbucks, Trader Joe’s and Costco have also made moves to unionize in recent years.
The Department of Labor acknowledges that unionization is “not a magic bullet…[but] there is little doubt that it makes a positive difference.” For example, unionized construction sites are 19% less likely to have Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) violations and report 34% fewer violations per OSHA inspection than non-union sites.
Lawmakers like Bernie Sanders view the revival of union membership as a key element in improving working conditions nationwide. “It was the trade union movement that built the middle class in this country, and it is the trade union movement that is going to rebuild the middle class in America once again,” he wrote on his website.
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