A touchy subject. As an insurance agent, I receive calls on a regular basis with some common questions:

How many employees am I allowed before I am forced by law to have Workers Comp? How can I cover myself without having to purchase Workers Comp?

The list goes on, but I will answer these questions.

In the state of Florida a construction-related risk must have coverage with I employee; a non-construction company may have up to 3 employees. The majority of lawn maintenance operations are non-construction, therefore required by law to have coverage with over 3 employees. There is a moral or ethical question however - what happens if anyone working for you in injured? Is he on his own? What if he is permanently disabled? Even though legally you are not obligated to carry coverage for this man, what do you tell him as well as his family? What can you do for him out of your pocket? Can you pay all medical bills? Can you continue with a majority of his salary? If you think in this regard. Workers Comp doesn't cost, it pays! What price can you put on your moral obligation to that fellow working for you? There are other ways of covering your employees, such as 24 hour health coverage, which could be somewhat cheaper than Workers Comp, and a Disability policy to pay his income while out of work. This also answers our second question regarding how an owner can cover himself without the help of Workers comp.

  - Alan Williams