Most workplace injuries are clear cut, at-work accidents, but if an accident happens to a person working from home, many may worry if they have coverage through workers’ compensation. While this is an understandable concern, workers’ compensation will cover most workplace injuries for employees working from home. This news should be a great relief to people injured while working at home for the last year.
This is not a new area of the law
Remote work, while previously rare, is not new. People have worked remotely for quite some time, and technology has only made it easier. It should come as no surprise that the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) offers guidance to employers on the topic of work-from-home work injuries. SHRM notes that work-from-home employees should receive compensation for their work injuries.
However, SHRM also offers advice to employers to review their employee handbook and policies to limit what could be working conditions for remote workers. Some of the proposed actions include:
- Workspace limited to an office area in your home
- Mandated breaks and mealtimes
- Regular “checkups” for work from home setups
Whenever there is a workers’ compensation claim anywhere in North Carolina, there is a chance for the employer to dispute that claim. And if that client is at home, they may challenge it more aggressively.
You deserve compensation for work injuries.
To avoid paying out for a workplace injury, an employer may take steps to discourage you from filing. This is especially likely if they hadn’t had a work-from-home policy in place before the pandemic forced this change. No matter the pressures placed on you, it is important that you understand, if you were working while it happened, you deserve workers’ compensation coverage.
