Employers Face Criminal Penalty, Fines for Late Injury Reports State law requires South Dakota employers to report all work-related injuries within 7 days, but in the interest of reducing worker's compensation costs it's a good idea to report them even sooner than that, according to Labor Secretary Craig Johnson. That's because injured employees who receive prompt medical treatment and timely rehabilitation services generally return to work a lot sooner than if proper care and treatment are delayed, Johnson said. In addition, delays in processing worker's compensation claims can lead to litigation, which will typically double the cost of a claim.
Employers have two other good reasons to report injuries on time.
First, they could be charged with a Class 2 misdemeanor if they don't report a job-related injury within 7 days. But Johnson said that will soon change. He said the department has completed a change in its computer system that will allow it to audit injury reports to compare the day an injury occurred to the day the employer reported the injury to its insurer.