Understanding workers’ compensation for remote workers

Because of the pandemic, remote work has risen in popularity. Many companies now allow their employees to work from home. However, with this rise in popularity came the eventual question of remote employees: do they still qualify for workers’ compensation if they work from home? The simple answer is yes. If the injury resulted from performing your duties at work, you can get workers’ compensation. However, as with most legal questions, the answer may depend on the specific facts of your case.

Proving the injury is work-related

One of the biggest challenges in claiming compensation for a remote work injury is proving that your injury was work-related. Getting a doctor to certify that your injury is work-related certainly helps, but what if you can’t get that certification? Having a detailed record of your work activities and maintaining a clear distinction between your work and personal time can significantly help in these cases. Some even use time trackers precisely for this very purpose.

What to do if you want to claim workers’ compensation

Follow these steps if you get injured while working remotely:

1. Report the injury to your employer: Your employer may ask you to see a company-accredited doctor or report to a company-accredited facility. If there are no company-accredited doctors or facilities in your area, you may seek treatment with any doctor that fits your medical needs.
2. Inform the doctor that the injury is work-related: This allows the doctor to bill the treatment as a workers’ compensation claim.
3. Inform your manager of the injury and give a written notice within 30 days: Describe what happened and provide complete details as soon as possible. If your injury prevents you from doing this, have someone else do this for you.
4. Document everything: Record your doctor’s visits and your communication with the company.

To file the claim, you must correctly fill out Form 18.

If you have any further questions or face challenges in your claim, consider consulting with a legal professional who can provide the guidance you need.