Do Businesses Have to Provide Workers Comp for Employees Who Work From Home?

Posted June 15, 2022 in Workers’ compensation

2 Minute Read: 

One way COVID-19 changed our lives is that it made remote work commonplace. 

Since the pandemic, it is estimated that more than 60 percent of employees in the United States have worked remotely for some time. However, working from home comes with several unique challenges. 

For instance, it is not possible for companies hiring remote workers to enforce safety regulations in their employees’ homes. 

Therefore, a lot of business owners are still wondering if they have to provide workers comp for employees who work from home. 

Here is what you need to know about workers’ comp for remote workers.

Have an insurance question? Contact Gallant Risk & Insurance Services, LLC, by calling us at (951) 368-0700. You can also fill out our online contact form.

Is Workers’ Comp Required for Employees Working from Home?

In almost all states, workers’ comp is a requirement for all businesses that employ one or more employees, whether those employees work on-site or remotely. 

This is because workplace injuries and illnesses can affect even the employees who work from home. 

For instance, since some employees working from home are unable to invest in high-quality office furniture, they might suffer back-related injuries and shoulder sprains and strains. Besides, sitting in front of a computer for extended periods can put employees working from home at risk of experiencing blurred vision, itchy eyes, and frequent headaches. 

Therefore, people working from home need workers’ comp as much as those who work from the office.

What Is Considered a Work-From-Home Injury?

For an employee to qualify for compensation for a work-from-home injury, there are several requirements they must meet. 

For instance, they must suffer a personal injury related to their job. 

But how can you, as an employer, determine if a remote worker was truly injured while working? 

Of course, this is hard since monitoring the environment in which remote employees work is virtually impossible. 

The good news is that as an employer, you don’t have to worry about this problem since the burden of proof is with the employee, and your workers’ comp policy carrier will be the one to determine if any particular claim is valid or not.

Generally, in order for a worker’s comp claim to be accepted for a remote employee, that employee will need to be able to prove that the injury came while they were on the clock and working on something that was directly related to their job duties.

The Bottom Line

Workers’ comp is necessary for employees working from home. The good news is that by working with Gallant Risk & Insurance Services, you can come up with a strategy that can help you keep the cost of workers’ comp relatively low. 

Get in touch with Gallant to learn more about our firm and services.