U.S. #1186 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the first successful legislation concerning workmen’s compensation. The stamp shows a scale balancing a man, his wife, and child with a factory, representing industry. The Wisconsin Legislature Enacts the First Workmen’s Compensation Law in 1911 Wisconsin became the first state to have an operating workmen’s compensation law in 1911. This law provided financial security for workers injured on the job. By 1948, all of the then-48 U.S. states had passed such laws. Alaska and Hawaii had workmen’s compensation laws when they joined the Union. Today, workmen’s compensation provides pay and medical help for people injured while working, and also provides pensions for their dependents in cases where workers are killed.