An employee is injured at 3 pm on Friday and only paid for 6 hours. When does the waiting period for benefits begin?

• A. Friday
• B. Saturday
• C. Sunday
• D. Monday

Answer: (A)

The waiting period for benefits in the context of employee injuries typically begins on the date of the injury itself. In this scenario, the employee was injured at 3 pm on Friday. Because the injury occurred during the workday on Friday, that date marks the start of the waiting period for benefits.

This means that regardless of the number of hours the employee is compensated for, the waiting period is initiated on the day of the incident, which is Friday in this case. It's important in workers' compensation policies to recognize that the clock starts ticking from the moment of injury, rather than from when an employee begins receiving benefits or is officially recorded as being unable to work. This is crucial for both the employer and employee to understand, as it affects eligibility for benefits under the worker's compensation program.