Generally, Pennsylvania employers must provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage for their employees, including part-time and seasonal workers. There are a few exceptions: for example, some volunteers, agricultural laborers, casual employees, and domestics are not covered. Further, certain categories of workers receive benefits under separate compensation benefit laws. These include federal civilian employees, railroad workers, longshoremen, and shipyard and harbor workers.
If you incur a work-related injury (or death), illness, or disease, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits (such coverage begins the date you were hired). However, if the injury or death is intentionally self-inflicted, or is caused by your violation of law (for example, drug use or intoxication), there will be no relief available.