The pandemic brought about many changes but perhaps the most impactful has been that millions of people now work from home instead of commuting to work each day. Remote work can have many benefits including avoiding traffic, the ability to wear comfortable clothes throughout the day, and in some cases, a better work-life balance. Although some companies are slowly requiring their employees to return to the workplace, there are thousands of companies that have determined their employees can perform their job duties just as effectively from home. This is great news for many workers as a significant percentage of the population would prefer to work remotely. If you are one of the millions of workers who has shifted to working from home, have you considered what would happen if you were injured while performing your job responsibilities remotely? Some people would assume that if you are not on your workplace premises, you cannot receive workers’ compensation but that is the furthest thing from the truth.
Just like if you were injured while on-the-job, if you are injured at home while performing your job-related duties, you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Your protections as an injured worker do not begin and end when you step foot onto your job site. Workers’ compensation is designed to protect workers in the event of an injury throughout their scope of work. This could include running an errand for your boss, traveling for work, and yes, working from home. There are many injuries that you could suffer from while working from home but some of the most common are repetitive injuries. Repetitive injuries happen after performing a specific action repeatedly over a period of time. These types of injuries are unfortunately not uncommon with desk jobs and primarily affect the wrists, neck, shoulders and back. Although repetitive injuries are the most common types of injuries employees who work remotely experience, it is also possible to suffer from an accident such as a slip or fall during your course of work while at home. Regardless of the type of the injury, if it was a direct result of performing your job functions, you should file a workers’ compensation claim for coverage.
It can sometimes be more challenging to file a claim for a work-related injury when you are working remotely. That is why if you suffer from an injury while working from home, you must do the following things immediately to better your chances of winning the benefits you deserve:
- Report the injury as soon as possible
- Contact a workers’ compensation attorney to review your case
No one wants to suffer from a work-related injury and the aftermath can be devastating. If you work from home and have incurred an injury, make sure you protect yourself to the best of your ability by reporting the incident in extreme detail to your employer and contacting an attorney right away. Working from home has its perks, but it unfortunately doesn’t protect you from all potential injuries. Contact Poirier Law Firm today to meet with our experienced team. Upon hearing the details of your case, we can help you file a claim and fight for the protections you are entitled to as a remote employee.