Working from Home and Workers’ Compensation

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the workplace environment. Most workers are now working remotely, from home. In fact, the trend may continue post-pandemic too, with employees working from home a few days a week.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION FOR REMOTE OR WORK-FROM-HOME EMPLOYEES

If employees are covered for working on the company premises, they should be covered if working remotely,if the injury or illness is related to work activities.

The important question is how employees can prove whether they were injured while performing duties within the scope of their employment, or when they were not working.

Answering the following questions can help to understand this further.

• Were your actions at the time of injury benefitting the employer?
• Were you required to perform the action that caused the injury by your employer?
• Was the remote activity approved in advance by the employer?

The burden of proof is on the employee. You need to prove the link between your injury and your work activities.

Since the workers’ compensation rules can be complex and even more so in the remote working scenario, it is a good idea to consult a workers’ compensation lawyer who can help you file your claim, prove that the injury was indeed work-related and get what you deserve.

Consult an experienced workers’ compensation attorney if –

• You have no idea how to go about your claim.
• Your claim has been denied.
• Your employer or their insurance carrier doesn’t agree that your injury is work-related.
• You require extensive medical care or have pre-existing medical conditions.
• Your injury may result in permanent disabilities.
• You are likely to miss work because your injury needs a long time to heal.
• A loved one died from a workplace injury or illness.