Workers compensation when working from home - Everything you need to know
This blog will look at the specifics of workers compensation and explain how it may play out when a claimant is working from home.
This blog will look at the specifics of workers compensation and explain how it may play out when a claimant is working from home.
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There are a record number of Australians working from home right now. Thanks to the pandemic, almost 2.6 million Australians nationwide have said goodbye to the office and hello to making their home suitable for daily office use. Because of this increase in people working from home, the number of incidents causing working from home injuries has also increased. This blog will look at the specifics of workers compensation and explain how it may play out when a claimant is working from home.
Yes, you are absolutely still eligible for workers compensation when working from home. Regardless of where your workspace is, your employer is still responsible for providing you with a safe workspace. Under all types of WorkCover, regardless of state, you are covered if you suffer an injury “arising out of or in the course of any employment”. This includes if you are working from home. However, it must be remembered that similarly to if you were working on-site or in the office, you would still have to prove that your injury happened while you were working.
There will be several factors examined when a workers comp claim is made. There needs to be a determination of whether the liability for injury lies with the employer. These reasons can include:
If you are unsure of whether your claim would be successful, let’s have a look at two working from home situations where one injury is work-related, and the other is not.
Employers still have a duty of care for workers under the Workplace Health and Safety Act of 1995. This includes workers that are now working from home. Under this legislation, employers must take steps to ensure a home work environment still meets workplace health and safety requirements. They can do this by completing a risk assessment of your home office setup.
A good working from home policy should include:
As with all work situations, the employee also has a responsibility to look after their own safety and keep their work area safe.
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Find out what your claim is worth with our smart online calculators, discuss your options with our team of claim advisors and find a lawyer that best matches you.
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