The actor failed to obtain the insurance for the employees of his art studio and faces a $72,000 fine.
Actor and comedian, Jim Carrey, has been fined $72,000 for his failure to obtain workers compensation insurance coverage for the employees who work at his art studio in New York.
As the founder of the Church of FFC studio, Carrey is being sued by the New York state WCB.
According to reports, the 51 year old celebrity founded the art studio in 2011 and is now the recipient of a lawsuit from the State of New York’s Workers Compensation Board (WCB). According to the legal filings, the fine has not yet been paid by Carrey, which has forced the board to have to sue him so that the issue can be resolved in court. According to the actor, there has not been any wrongdoing on his part.
The workers compensation law in New York says that certain employers are required to continuously maintain the coverage.
The law in the state requires that all employers obtain and continuously maintain workers compensation coverage in effect for all of their employees. Businesses have to either purchase this type of policy or self-insure for the same amount unless they have been declared to be legally exempt from having to do so.
A corporation’s president, partners, sole proprietor, secretary, and treasurer are all personally liable if workers compensation has not been obtained, or if there is any form of coverage lapse. According to the WCB website, those employers are liable “for a penalty of $2,000 per 10-day period of noncompliance.” This is further to any awards, such as medical and compensation costs.
A spokesperson representing Carrey has explained that the celebrity feels that this workers compensation lawsuit is entirely without merit and that rapid action will be taken on this front. The spokesperson explained that “This is a clerical error on their part and will be cleared up immediately.” This suit will be the second time that there has been legal action taken against Church of FFC, which is located in the West Village of New York City.
