Injured at work

What to do straight away

Get medical attention, and keep every medical report and receipt.
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as possible. Say what happened, when, where, and who saw it. Keep a copy.
Claim NIS Employment Injury Benefit within 14 days of the accident.
If your work is manual, ask your employer about workmen's compensation and give written notice of the accident before you leave the job.
Keep a dated note of time off work, pay lost and medical costs.

Paid by the National Insurance Board from NIS contributions.
Covers employees in insurable employment who are hurt at work or develop a prescribed work-related disease. No minimum number of contributions is needed.
Includes Injury Benefit while you are off work, Disablement Benefit if you are left with a lasting disability, help with medical expenses, and Death Benefit for dependants.
Deadlines: Injury Benefit within 14 days of the accident. Disablement Benefit and medical expenses within 3 months. Death Benefit within 12 months. Late claims up to 12 months need a letter showing good cause; claims more than 12 months late are refused.

Paid by your employer, through the insurance every employer must have under the Workmen's Compensation Act, Chap. 88:05. The Government is exempt.
Covers an accident arising out of and in the course of your job that keeps you off work for at least 3 days. You do not have to prove your employer was at fault.
Covers manual workers whatever they earn. The Act's limit for non-manual workers (TT$5,000 a year) has not been updated since the Act was written, so most office workers fall outside it.
Not covered: casual workers employed outside the employer's trade or business, outworkers, family members living in the employer's home, and members of the Defence Force, Police Service and Fire Service.
Compensation is set by the Act: for example, 36 months' earnings where a worker dies leaving dependants, 48 months' earnings for permanent total disablement, and one-third of monthly earnings while temporarily unable to work.
Deadlines: give your employer notice as soon as practicable and before you leave the job. Make the claim within one year of the accident.
Disputes are decided by a Commissioner for Workmen's Compensation.

Office and other non-manual workers: NIS Employment Injury Benefit.
Manual workers (for example labourers, factory workers, drivers, household workers): NIS Employment Injury Benefit, and workmen's compensation from your employer.
If your employer's negligence caused the injury, for example unsafe equipment or no training, you may also have a claim for damages in the High Court. Speak to an attorney. Any damages recovered are taken into account in a workmen's compensation award.

Last reviewed: October 2026

General guidance only, not legal advice.