The work landscape looks much different than it did a year ago. Full-time work in an office location may be a thing of the past as both employers and employees are embracing the benefits of working from home.
What does this fundamental shift mean for workers’ compensation claims? Are you eligible for workers’ comp benefits if you are working remotely? In general, you should be covered by workers’ comp. However, as with being in an office location, your injury must have been work-related to qualify for compensation.
Were you performing a work-related activity?
Just because you were hurt during the workday doesn’t mean you will automatically qualify for workers’ comp. The injury must have come about in the course of doing your job. For example, let’s say you are on a work-related phone call. You’re walking back and forth around the room. You wind up tripping on something on the floor and suffer a serious injury. In this case, it is likely that you will receive workers’ compensation benefits.
On the other hand, let’s say you decide to hit pause on the workday and choose to take the dog for a quick jaunt around the block. You twist your ankle on a broken piece of sidewalk. Your injury will likely not be covered in this case because you were not performing a work-related activity.
Proving an injury was work-related
The most significant barrier to a workers’ comp claim for an injury suffered while working at home is the lack of witnesses. You may have saved yourself the embarrassment of tripping in front of your coworkers. However, if the dog or the cat were the only witnesses to the accident, your claim will have to come down to your word.
When outlining what happened, details are crucial. You can help strengthen your claim by working closely with a legal professional who can guide you through the process one step at a time.