Thanks to the rise in telecommuting and remote work positions, there are more employees working outside the walls of an employer’s commercial establishment than ever.
Remote workers, however, are still subject to many of the same risks and injuries as employees who work at their employer’s place of business and are still protected through worker’s compensation insurance.
Understanding the benefits of worker’s compensation for telecommuters can help you navigate and report work-related injuries regardless of where they happen while on the job.
Worker’s compensation and remote work eligibility
Worker’s compensation policies cover all employees in a single company, whether they work on-site or at a secondary premise. As long as an injury or illness occurs in the course of, and out of the duties of, employment responsibilities, it is compensable.
The only time an employee is not covered by these policies is if the injury is not clearly caused by work responsibilities, or if an employer has not complied with state mandates to adopt a policy.
Remote work-related injuries
The safety of remote workers can become compromised during work hours in a variety of ways, including:
- Slips and falls
- Lacerations
- Burns
- Contusions
- Environmental hazards, including sunstroke or asbestosis
- Repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel
- Mental stress injuries
- Fatalities
Injured employees can receive benefits provided they produce evidence that the injury or illness sustained is due to work operations or responsibilities. The more clearly defined an employee’s hours, responsibilities and required duties, the easier it is to determine whether an injury is eligible for a work-related compensation claim.