I was in a car accident on company time and my company continued my salary for a while while I was recovering. I was later let go because because my injuries made me less effective at work. Their worker's comp now sent me a check with the instructions to cash it and to write a check for or wire the money over to my ex-employer. Worker's comp says it's to reimburse the employer's salary continuation and therefore I need to transfer the money, but it says "temporary disability" in the form that came with it. The check was made to me at my home address.
Neither the company nor the worker's comp are giving me an explanation why the money was sent to me if it's supposed to be for the company, and I haven't received any documentation on it besides the check itself and the attached form that it's for temporary disability. My requests for explanation or documentation are met with threats of police or legal action ("unjust enrichment") if I don't cooperate.
I'm hesitant because I don't want to get hit with a tax bill after I've wired the money. My CPA thinks I'll receive a 1099 on that. I'm also awaiting some compensation from the guilty driver's car insurance on my disability, and I'm worried that this claim will make it look as if I've already received a benefit, and thus ineligible to actually receive some money.
Unfortunately I've deposited the check before stopping to figure out what's going on. I'm now thinking about writing a check to the worker's comp with the same amount to effectively return the money and tell them that I want nothing to do with it. Is that a good idea? If I send a check back to the worker's comp guy, will that ensure I'm in the clear? Do I need him to do something? Or should I do something else entirely?
In case this is relevant, I'm in California and the ex-employer is set up as a 501(c)3.
Edit: They don't specifically request me to wire the money, a check from my account would do fine as well apparently. They just wanted me to cash the check and then write a check of my own to my employer.
Submitted October 09, 2017 at 08:42PM by underabus http://ift.tt/2y8rWsa
