Working in a busy child care facility is typically a rewarding experience, but these occupations expose employees to many hazards. As a service-based profession, those in this industry often ignore their wellbeing to ensure their young charges receive high-quality care. Unfortunately, ignoring a workplace injury can cause more health and wellness problems going forward.
Another reason some employees ignore child care workplace injuries is because they do not understand that they have compensation options. In New Jersey, nearly all employers must provide workers’ compensation insurance for their employees.
What are the most common child care-related injuries?
Caring for children of any age is challenging. Along with performing labor-intensive tasks, these workers must also care for sick children from time to time, increasing their overall risk.
Below you will find some examples of common health and wellness issues child care facility workers face.
- Back, neck or musculoskeletal injuries
- Exposure to illness or disease
- Slip, trip and fall accidents
- Repetitive motion injuries (carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.)
- Muscle sprains and strains
The issues above might seem minor, but without treatment, they could worsen. If the injury or illness becomes especially severe, it might even limit your ability to earn an income in the future.
We want you to know how vital it is to seek a medical opinion after any workplace harm. If you feel that your injury is too minor to see a doctor, you should still report the incident to your employer. That way, if your symptoms worsen, you have a documented record of what happened should you need to file a claim.
To protect your rights now and in the future, we urge you to learn more about New Jersey workers’ compensation laws.