What does a finding of the employee's serious and willful misconduct result in regarding indemnity benefits?

• A. A 50% reduction in benefits
• B. The compensation shall be reduced by one half
• C. A 10% reduction if the disability is greater than 70%
• D. No reduction for employees under 18 years of age

Answer: (B)

The result of finding an employee's serious and willful misconduct is that their indemnity benefits are reduced by one half. This principle is established in workers' compensation law, which assumes that if an employee's own serious and willful actions contributed to their injury, they should bear some responsibility for the consequences.

In this context, serious and willful misconduct is a significant departure from the standard of care that an employee is expected to adhere to while performing their job duties. When such misconduct is proven, the law recognizes that the employee's own actions directly contributed to the injury. Therefore, reducing the indemnity benefits serves to align the consequences with the employee's own responsibility in the situation.

The other options do not accurately reflect the standard legal consequences of serious and willful misconduct in workers' compensation scenarios, highlighting why they are not applicable here. This understanding reinforces the importance of maintaining a standard of conduct and the potential repercussions of failing to do so while on the job.