Workers' Compensation Discussion Forums

I own a small horse riding lesson stable in NC. I am a sole proprietor. Recently I started a new kids program with the help of a friend of mine.

I own the ponies, all equipment, I pay for liability insurance. For now I am not paying her per se - while we are marketing this new service I am trading out boarding her horse here for her help with the class aprox 2 hours per week.

However we are talking about ramping up our advertising in the fall, and hopefully offering 3-4 one hour classes per week, at which point I will be paying her. Part of her 'duties' also includes helping me provide the normal daily care for the ponies.

I do not know ANYTHING about workman's compensation - and while I have Googled the topic and found a lot of info (which I am still trying to digest) from other states, I really did not find anything specific to NC, let alone an article that describes workmans compensation ALA "For Dummies".

knowing where to look is a trick even with high end search engines. there is so much.

"If you are a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, estate, or trust, you are required by law to carry coverage once you have three (3) employees who are regularly employed, in addition to the sole proprietor, partners, formulators of the LLC, executor of the estate, and bearer of the trust. It does not matter if these employees are full time, part time, regular seasonal or family members."
http://www.ic.nc.gov/ncic/pages/bus&ind.htm

In my state there is the equestrian law. Due to the inherent danger of the activity the operator is exempt from liability for related injury for persons over 16 and those under 16 accompanied by guardian. I would check with the state rodeo association.

This does not mean that Rodeos have not been sued.