Has “Work From Home” Culture Changed Workplace Injury Claims?
Were you recently injured while working, except that you work from home? You are certainly not alone. A recent article in Marketplace asks the question of whether “work from home” culture that arose largely out of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed workplace injury cases and workers’ compensation coverage. As that article explains, between 2019 and 2021, “the number of people primarily working at home more than tripled from 9 million to almost 28 million, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Yet has the shift to more work-from-home jobs impacted workers’ compensation benefits and payments? In short, employees should know that they can still be eligible for workers’ compensation coverage even if they have a work-from-home injury. Our Pompano beach workers’ compensation lawyers can explain.
Work-from-Home Injuries Can Still Be Workplace Injuries That Allow for Workers’ Compensation Coverage
Generally speaking, the article in Marketplace emphasizes that work-from-home injuries can still be compensable like other workplace injuries, but a major difference is that “employees might be less likely to recognize an injury as work related,” and employers may have more questions about work-from-home injuries.
When you are working from home and get hurt, it is essential to take all of the steps you would otherwise take with a workplace injury that occurs in the office or elsewhere: document the injury, report it to your employer, and seek care from an approved health care provider.
You Can Be Eligible for Workers’ Compensation in Florida If Your Injury Occurred While Working from Home
Whether your job is fully remote or hybrid, or you merely worked from home on a particular day on which your injury occurred, you should know that you may still be eligible for workers’ compensation coverage under Florida law. To be sure, the Florida Statutes do not expressly require that an employee be working in a particular location when an injury happens in order to be eligible for compensation. Rather, your injury must be one that is “arising out of and in the course of employment.”
As long as you can show that your injury arose out of your employment and occurred in the course of your employment, you may be able to obtain workers’ compensation benefits even if your injury occurred while you were working from home. You should know that work-from-home injuries can require extensive evidence, so it is important to seek advice from a workers’ compensation lawyer who can help you to gather the materials you will need in order to obtain benefits.
Contact a Pompano Beach Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Were you working from home when you suffered an injury? It is important for you to know that you do not necessarily need to be at your primary place of business or your office, or on a specific job site, in order to be eligible for workers’ compensation. Indeed, you may be eligible to obtain coverage for your medical care and lost wages, and we can help. Do not hesitate to get in touch with one of the experienced Pompano Beach workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. to learn more about how we can help you.
Sources:
marketplace.org/2023/01/24/in-a-world-where-millions-work-from-home-what-does-it-mean-to-be-injured-on-the-job/
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/0440.html
