You do not need to be doing anything illegal for a social media post to come back to bite you. Innocent posts that you upload after a workplace accident could harm your chances of claiming workers’ compensation insurance.
Employers and insurers can monitor social media
Employers have been monitoring their employees’ social media for years. If they spot you doing something that suggests you are well enough to work, they could pass it on to the insurance company. Insurers might pay someone to monitor your social media if you have filed a claim after a workplace injury or illness.
What should I avoid posting on social media?
These are some of the things you should avoid sharing on social media if you are filing a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.
- Anything about how or why the accident happened
- Anything that suggests your injury is not as severe as the doctor said
- Anything that implies you are not following the doctor’s orders
- Anything that shows you out and about when people feel you should be resting at home
Insurance companies are always looking for ways to deny claims or diminish the payouts they make. They could seize upon a photo of you carrying shopping bags or accompanying your child to the park to suggest that you are capable of returning to work.
You might think that setting your social media accounts to private will stop the insurer from seeing anything you post. However, you should remember that they may see your posts if they look at the accounts of people you are friends with. They could also see posts if you later change your account settings back from private to public.
