The number of remote workers in Pennsylvania has increased in recent years. Most remote workers work from home, although working from anywhere is typically possible.
Workers’ compensation is a topic employers must consider when allowing employees to work remotely, since remote workers can also be eligible for workers’ compensation.
Qualifying for workers’ compensation
To qualify for workers’ compensation, you must prove that you were injured during the ordinary course of your job to recover benefits. You are not required to be on your employer’s property. However, you must be engaged in work-related duties at the time of the injury.
The specific language of the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act states that an employee must be engaged in tasks that further the employer’s business or affairs, regardless of whether they are on the employer’s property.
Although you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits as a remote worker, you must still prove that the injury occurred in the course of your employment to receive benefits. Additionally, the injury must have occurred during work hours.
For example, if you work in the construction industry and sustain an injury after deciding to go back to a construction site after your “on the clock” hours to perform some extra work, you might not qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
Common reasons to deny benefits to remote workers
An injury occurring after scheduled work hours is one reason your employer or an insurance company may argue that you should not receive workers’ compensation.
When it comes to remote workers, employers or insurance companies may also argue that they are not responsible for dangerous conditions in your own home or that the activity you were performing was not in the ordinary course of your employment.
If you are denied workers’ compensation and you work remotely, you have a right to appeal the denied claim. Pennsylvania employers have a duty to provide a safe workplace, no matter where that workplace may be.