• At least 50,000 construction workers in New York City, one of four, are paid off the books or misclassified as independent contractors.

• Those schemes steal more than $500 million in workers compensation premiums, taxes and other expenses each year.

• More than 39,500 employers misclassify 704,785 workers, or 10.3 percent of the workforce throughout New York State each year.

• Dishonest employees will knowingly make bogus claims for workplace injuries against their employer's workers comp policies.

• In construction, 45,474 workers, or 14.8 percent of New York's workforce, are misclassified as independent contractors each year.

These costs are added to the prices you pay for everything!

Workers:

• Know your rights - Seek treatment and benefits and be honest when you file.

• Report - Notify your supervisor immediately if you suspect fraud.

• Beware - Doctors may urge excessive tests or treatments. Avoid lawyers aggressively recruiting you to sign-up.

Employers:

• Safety First - Create a safe workplace. Listen to complaints. Correct safety risks. Show you care.

• Zero tolerance - Inform employees this is a no-fraud zone.

• Check - Background checks for prior suspicious injury claims stop more fraud.

• Proof - Require reporting of job accidents immediately and document fully.

• Report - Encourage reporting of suspected fraud confidentially. Create a fraud reporting system.

Most important of all, don’t commit insurance fraud and if you see it happening, report it.

And finally, pass our information along to everyone you know.