Telecommuting and workers’ compensation

Telecommuting is an industry term for “work from home.” Companies began experimenting with telecommuting as the Internet matured and enabled workers to access their work files from home. It was believed that telecommuting would be the future, companies could be composed of people from all over the world who collaborated on projects. The reality is a little more complicated, including, who is liable for your injuries if you telecommute. This post will go over the basics of workers’ compensation and its intersection with at-home injuries.

<Generally, yes, you are eligible for workers’ compensation any time you are injured while on the job. But that is the basic premise, the nuance of your injury, where it occurred, and how all influence how much you can recover.

Workers’ compensation insurance is activated any time you are injured while working in the course of your job or on a task assigned by your employer. The crux of the issue depends on the twist of language from your particular state’s laws. Some states take an expansive view, for instance, you are entitled to recovery any time you are injured while performing a task on behalf of your employer. Some states are more restrictive and only allow compensation if you are required to complete the task, and it is normally part of your job.

You may ask, but if you work from home, it is obviously for work and under the direction of your boss. That is true in some situations but not all, for example, if you work from home for your benefit (i.e. not because your boss requires it) or if you stayed home because you were sick and worked then. In both of those situations, it is not obliged by your job because it was for your benefit.

The nuance of these issues highly suggests that you seek the assistance of an attorney. If you suffered a workplace accident, you may want to consult with a Charlotte work comp lawyer – you likely have a workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ compensation is not a system that generates huge profits for injured workers. It is designed to cover your medical costs and to replace some of the income you lose because you are unable to work. A lawyer can help you get these payments to pay your bills and medical expenses.