I was injured while working at my workplace and am unable to work. How can I pay for my medical treatment and living expenses during my leave? What if I have become ill from chemicals I have been using in my work?

2022/5/17

When a worker is injured or becomes ill due to work (Work-Related Injury), he or she is covered by Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance and is entitled to various benefits.
The main benefits provided by Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance are as follows:
⑴ Medical Compensation Benefits
When a worker needs medical treatment for an injury or illness, he or she can receive treatment and medicine free of charge until the injury or illness is cured.
You must submit a request for benefits to the chief of the Labor Standards Inspection Office via the medical institution where you are receiving medical treatment, and request medical compensation benefits.
⑵ Temporary Absence from Work Compensation Benefits
When a worker is unable to work due to medical treatment for an injury or illness and is not receiving wages, the amount equivalent to 60% of the basic daily benefit amount (in principle, the amount equivalent to the average wage) is paid from the fourth day of non-receipt of wages.
You must submit a Temporary Absence from Work Compensation Benefits Claims Form to the chief of the relevant labor standards inspection to file a claim.
⑶ Disability Compensation Benefits
When the worker suffers from residual disabilities as a result of the work-related injury, they are eligible to receive disability benefits to be paid either monthly or in lump depending on the degree of the disability.

If a worker is injured while engaged in work on site during regular working hours or overtime, it is approved as employment injury unless there are special circumstances. However, if the worker engages in a private act during work and is injured as a result of that act, or if the worker intentionally causes the accident, it cannot be said that it was caused by work and is thus not approved as a work-related injury.
Whether the injury can be said to be work-related is determined according to the individual circumstances of each injury. Therefore, to find out whether your injury is covered by workers’ compensation insurance, you should first consult with your local labor standards office, labor union, or a labor lawyer. When you actually go for consultation, it is better to keep a record of the circumstances of the accident, so that you can explain in detail the circumstances under which you were injured.