Millennials And The Gig Economy Are Remaking The Workers’ Comp Landscape

The ranks of U.S. millennials — those between the ages of 22 and 37 as of 2018 — are projected to swell to 73 million this year, overtaking baby boomers as the largest U.S. population group.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean employers will be seeing more of them in the office.

The group known as the “Cut Back Generation” is giving up on marriage, child rearing, home ownership and traditional employment — the latter of which is poised to have a huge effect on the workers’ compensation landscape.

Attorney Ryan Benharris, with The Law Offices of Deborah G. Kohl in Fall River, Mass., estimates that by 2020 there will be 42 million millennial workers in the economy, and he believes that their tendency to engage in the gig economy and their preference for flexible schedules and working from home will raise significant questions for employers about how to handle workers’ comp claims.