You can experience a workplace injury at home

According to a survey conducted by Upwork and reported by CNBC, more than 25% of Americans report they will work from home in 2021. If you telecommute and experience an injury in your home office, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation.

Review the standards that apply to your claim if you have a work-related injury that happened at home.

Circumstances of the injury

Just as if you suffered an injury in a traditional employment setting, the circumstances of the injury influence whether you can receive workers’ compensation. Generally, you are only eligible if you were engaging in your official job duties when the injury happened. Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance provider will review the information and determine whether you were acting in the company’s interest at the time of the injury.

Hazards in the home office

For most people, the dangers in a home office are similar to those in a traditional office setting. For example, if you slip and fall in your kitchen while making lunch during the workday, you could reasonably have a valid workers’ compensation claim. However, workers’ comp would not apply if you ran out for lunch and had a car accident or slipped and fell on your stairs while using the bathroom at night.

When you experience an injury in your Massachusetts home office, you must notify your employer right away. You may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits if the injury will prevent you from working for at least five calendar days. Workers’ comp is a no-fault system, which means you can potentially receive benefits even if your actions caused the injury.