Suppose you have to put in a few extra hours of work to stay on top of your duties. You might work late, come into work on your day off, or take work home with you. This isn’t your normal work timeline, however, you still have a job to do. That might mean you could get hurt, in some way, while performing your duties. You might wonder if you will qualify for workers compensation if you get hurt at the time you are performing these additional duties.
Qualifications for After-Hours Work
Different states have different rules and regulations for when an employer must compensate an injured employee. Many workers’ compensation policies pay for injuries that occur within the scope of employees’ employment. That means, if someone is performing their job, or tasks related to their job, and they get hurt, then they will likely qualify for workers’ compensation.
So, if you decide to stay late at work, then you might still face many of the same risks that you would face at any other time of the day. Whether you are in the middle of your working day, or have stayed a bit late, you might still slip and fall on a damaged piece of carpeting. Because you were at work, and were permitted to be there, then you might qualify for a workers’ compensation claim. Even if you simply fell while walking to the bathroom, then you might be able to file a claim.
If you take your work home with you, it might be harder to prove a workers’ compensation claim is valid. If you slip on your own home’s carpeting, and get a concussion, then your employer may not actually have to compensate you.
On one hand, you might have no expectation to work from home. Therefore, your work might not actually qualify as within the scope of your employment. This might simply be an elective activity that you have chosen to do to keep up with your workflow. It’s not a requirement. As a result, you might not qualify for workers’ compensation.
However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule. Suppose that you telecommute, and work from home a majority of the time. Therefore, your home is, in essence, your place of business. Because you are performing duties there regularly, then you might be able to file work a workers’ compensation claim.
The best thing to do if you get hurt while out of the office, but still on the job, is to report the injury to your employer. They can help you determine the appropriate way to file the claim, and determine if you will qualify.