Can You Get Workers’ Comp if You Work From Home?

Are Remote Workers Eligible for Workers’ Comp?

In Pennsylvania, whether you work full-time or part-time at a job or from home or as a seasonal worker, you are still covered by workers’ compensation if you become injured. It has become increasingly common for people to telecommute in recent years, and this area of the law continues to develop and refine workers’ comp eligibility with new precedents. To increase safety and avoid workplace injuries, many employers have implemented safety checks for their remote employees.

Finding the Help You Need

Suppose you suffer an injury while working from home or are having problems collecting the benefits you deserve from workers’ compensation. The experienced lawyers at Travis Law may be able to help. A workers’ comp lawyer can gather the supporting evidence and handle your claim, which enables you to get the compensation you are entitled to. Call Travis Law at (814) 277-2222 today to discuss your case.

Employees Don’t Have to Be at Work to Be Covered by Workers’ Comp

Think about it. An employee who is out and about on business for their employer gets injured in an accident. That employee is covered by workers’ comp because it’s on company business and during their work hours. The same situation applies if the worker is handling their job from home as a remote employee and becomes injured during business hours. However, according to Pennsylvania law, the injury must have happened while on the clock and performing activities for the employer.

An Employee Is an Employee

Employees can obtain workers’ compensation benefits for on-the-job injuries regardless of whether the injury occurred at the employer’s location. Workers’ compensation benefits are available to home-based employees under Pennsylvania law 77 Pa. Stat. § 411, but the worker must have been “engaged in furthering the business.” That term is key in the injured worker’s ability to claim workers’ compensation benefits.

Nuances of Workers’ Comp Injury Coverage for Remote Workers 

For example, going to the kitchen for a sandwich and falling would not be furthering the business and would not be covered under workers’ comp. However, having your chair give way under you and causing an injury or accidentally dropping your computer on your foot while you’re changing the backup battery would. Both of those are in the venue of working to further the business. So would driving to the office during business hours to deliver paperwork or materials that had been prepared at home and being injured in a car crash on the way there. When you’ve been injured while performing work at home, talking to a lawyer who handles workers’ comp cases can tell you whether you can claim benefits or not and help you through the process.

Travis Law – Providing Workers’ Compensation Claims Assistance

The Travis Law Firm can help you resolve your workers’ comp issues by providing legal advice regarding your accident injury. Our attorneys can also assist you with taking your case through the proper legal and administrative channels if your insurance company has wrongfully denied your claim for workers’ comp. Get in touch with us by calling (814) 277-2222 or by connecting with us online.