New Hampshire contractors say that misclassification of workers among their competition has forced them to seek business elsewhere in Massachusetts. They claim that it is almost impossible for them to land construction projects in their own state because their competitors illegally misclassify workers to avoid paying for workers’ compensation, cutting their costs by about a third and allowing them to offer lower bids.
Many of these contractors have banded together to share their concerns with their local representative. A join task force is also preparing to examine the business practices of contractors throughout the state and penalize those who misclassify workers to deny them workers’ compensation.
Independent contractors generally earn more per hour, but they are cheaper for the contractor to employ because they don’t require workers’ compensation coverage. This issue was recently brought to light when a local construction worker fell on a construction site and shattered the bones in his left foot. He was originally denied workers’ compensation money because he was classified as an independent contractor.
Contractors speak up on workers comp, Nashua Telegraph, August 19, 2008
If you have been injured on the job and were denied the medical treatment you, then contract our Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyers. We have represented injuries workers and their families in cases throughout Massachusetts and the greater Boston area.