Workmen's Compensation Act 1906

Workmen's Compensation Act 1906
Dates
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to consolidate and amend the Law with respect to Compensation to Workmen for Injuries suffered in the course of their Employment.
Citation	6 Edw. 7. c. 58
Royal assent	21 December 1906
Commencement	1 July 1907
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes	Workmen's Compensation Act 1897 Workmen's Compensation Act 1900

The Workmen's Compensation Act 1906 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which deals with the right of working people for compensation for personal injury. The Act expanded the scheme created by the Workmen's Compensation Act 1897.

It fixes the compensation that a workman may recover from an employer in case of accident giving to a workman, except in certain cases of "serious and wilful misconduct", a right against his employer to a certain compensation on the mere occurrence of an accident where the common law gives the right only for negligence of the employer.

A 'workman' was defined as:

any person who enters into or works under a contract of service or apprenticeship with an employer, whether by way of manual labour, clerical work or otherwise, and whether the contract is expressed or implied, is oral or in writing.

Exceptions were made, including non-manual workers employed on annual pay over £250, casual workers employed "otherwise than for the purposes of their employer's trade or business", outworkers and family workers. Hence specific exclusions were made at both the top and bottom end of the labour market.

The National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act 1946 abolished the scheme (except for transitional cases) and replaced it with one of state liability.