wHAT-IS-E-COMMERCE

What is E-Commerce and How does it Affect Workers’ Compensation?

With the holidays right around the corner, practically everyone is on their computers or phones doing online shopping. According to Wikipedia, “E-commerce is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet.”

E-commerce can be in different forms, business to customers such as Amazon, customer to customer like eBay, or business to business like Shopify which sells companies’ goods online. Regardless of what type of e-commerce, most involve labeling and manufacturing, warehousing and shipping, as well as wholesaling or retailing.

While many of us shop online from the comfort of our homes, it is easy to look at the vast selection of goods out there, order by hitting a few keys on your computer, and expect the items to be miraculously delivered to your doorstep all within a short period of time, which happens every day of the week. What most of us don’t even think about or aren’t even aware of is all of the hard-working people who make this possible.

Workers Involved with E-Commerce

It all starts with an idea that leads to the manufacturing or production of a product. It requires workers in a manufacturing plant, people to clean and manage it, and transportation to get the product out to wholesalers or retailers. These wholesalers or retailers need people to sell the product, develop websites and means of distribution, and perhaps many different relevant departments to actually run their unique business.

Once the product is ordered, it could be shipped by plane, train, ship, truck, or a combination of any of these. If the product is sent in bulk, it may very well need to be put in a warehouse for storage until depleted by orders. These warehouses need workers to maintain them and unload and load products with the use of machinery, such as forklifts for example.

When you think of it, there are literally tens of thousands of workers each day involved in e-commerce who can be exposed to situations which can lead to work injuries. These could range from repetitive fast-paced body movements to operating vehicles or machinery in bad weather to simple slip and falls. The possibilities are endless.

Robinson Law Can Help

The next time you engage in e-commerce, you may want to stop for just a moment and give thanks for all of those individuals who really make it all possible. If you know anyone who has suffered a work-related injury in the course of their employment and is in need of benefits, Robinson Law is here to help and only a phone call away – 215.530-7166.