What must employees relinquish to receive workers' compensation benefits?

To receive workers' compensation benefits, employees must relinquish their right to sue the employer for negligence. This concept is rooted in the workers' compensation system, which is designed to provide financial assistance and medical benefits to employees who are injured on the job without them needing to prove fault. In exchange for this no-fault system, employees forfeit their right to file lawsuits against their employers for workplace injuries, regardless of whether the employer was negligent. This trade-off is intended to provide a more straightforward, expedient means for employees to receive benefits while protecting employers from potentially costly and drawn-out legal disputes.

The other choices do not pertain to the workers' compensation framework: employees do not give up their access to overtime pay, medical insurance rights, or retirement benefits in order to obtain workers' compensation benefits. These rights remain intact regardless of any injury sustained in the workplace, allowing individuals to maintain their financial security through other means.