Am I Still Eligible for Workers’ Compensation If I Work from Home?

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has taken many workers out of their offices and into their home offices. While the change of environment has been welcomed by many, it has not been without complications and concerns. Primarily, most remote workers have wondered whether or not they are still covered by workers’ compensation if they work from home? The average worker should be happy to hear that they are, in most cases, still eligible for workers’ comp while working from home or away from their typical workplace.

Coverage for Work Accidents Anywhere

Workers’ compensation provides an eligible worker coverage for work-related accidents with few strings attached. For example, the cause of the accident and where it happened are often not even considered when a workers’ comp claim is processed. As long as the injured worker was doing something related to their job or for their employer’s benefit when they were hurt, workers’ compensation should apply.

This is good news for remote workers across the country who might have been told that it only applies while they are in the office. To reiterate, if you’re working from home during the pandemic, then there should not have been any change to your workers’ compensation coverage just because your workspace looks more familiar now.

Type of Accident Matters

Not every accident that happens in your home while you are working will be covered by workers’ comp, though. The type of accident or injury you suffer is important because it still needs to be related to the scope of your employment.

For example, you probably can’t get workers’ compensation benefits if you pull a back muscle while loading the dishwasher on your lunch break. As painful as your back injury might be, it wouldn’t be covered by workers’ comp because your employer never required you to take your lunch at home, and they certainly didn’t tell you to use your dishwasher.

If your injury can be related to your job, even tangentially, then you are probably covered, though. For example, if you’ve been experiencing severe hand pain from typing all day in your home office, then you can probably file a workers’ comp claim, especially if you have been diagnosed with a repetitive motion injury or cumulative trauma like carpal tunnel syndrome. It all comes down to how your injury is related to your work, not necessarily why or where it happened.