Employers' Responsibilities Under the Employees' Compensation Program

2006EMPLOYERS' RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION PROGRAMThe Employees' Compensation ProgramThe basic idea behind the Employees' Compensation Program (ECP) is to provide just compensation to the worker in the event of work-connected disability or to his beneficiary, in case of work-connected death. Hence, the Employees' Compensation Commission (ECC), the agency created to implement the ECP, is tasked to provide occupationally disabled workers and their dependents, prompt, meaningful and adequate benefits and services as compensation for employment-related contingencies. Under the Old Workmen's Compensation Program, the employer was liable for the compensation benefits of workers who suffer work-connected contingencies. The Workmen's Compensation Commission, then had to determine the compensability of claims through adversarial proceedings and, where warranted would, order the employer to pay the benefit claim of the worker.P.D. 626, as amended, which established the ECP and State Insurance Fund (SIF) in 1975 changed the concept. Under the new program, compensation benefits for work-connected contingencies have become the responsibility of government. Benefit claims of workers are now processed in a non-adversarial manner and paid out of the SIF....