As the digital age continues to reshape the landscape of work, more and more workers in Perth are finding themselves trading the daily commute for the comfort of their home offices. While this shift can bring flexibility and convenience, it also raises a crucial question: What happens if an accident occurs at your home office while you’re on the clock?
This blog looks into workers’ compensation when working from home. Whether you’re an employer or employee, this guide provides an understanding of your rights & duties when working from your home office and what to do if you’re injured while working from home.
What is Working From Home?
Working from home involves employees conducting their duties within the confines of their residences, either alone or while other members of their household are present. Home working arrangements can be either ongoing or temporary, encompassing the entirety or a portion of the employee’s working hours. These arrangements are often made to provide flexibility to the employee and/or the business. For example, an employee can work at home if they don’t live in the same city as their head office.
Do I Have Access to Workers’ Compensation When Working From Home?
Workplace health and safety (WHS) laws still apply to home workplaces. In most cases, employees retain workers’ compensation coverage while working at home. Employers are obligated to carry workers’ compensation insurance to provide coverage for their workforce regardless of their work location. This includes remote setups and home offices.
Workers who sustain an injury while working from home have the right to workers’ compensation. This not only applies to injuries sustained while working but also during ordinary lunch breaks and other regular breaks. If you are covered for an incident when working onsite or in office, you are most likely also covered for the same incident if it occurs while working from home.
Similar to regular workers’ compensation, if you are injured after clocking off from working at home you are not likely to be covered. However, this can also depend on whether the employee was doing work-related activities after hours or not. If you are unsure whether your working from home injury is covered, a workers’ compensation lawyer can assess your case’s eligibility.
Common Work Injuries Sustained at Home
Some common injuries that can occur when working from home are:
- Body Stressing: back, knee & eye strain from remote workstation setup
- Falls & trips from home hazards
- Mental and psychological injuries resulting from isolation from the workplace or work-life balance
Work Health and Safety Duties While Working From Home
Just like any form of work, working from home requires management of workplace health and safety risks. It is both the worker and employee’s responsibility to manage and minimise WHS risks when working from home.
Employers should assess the ergonomics of their workers’ home workstations. It is important to identify potential hazards and control work safety risks. Some common working from home risks include:
- Poor workstation setup (quality of desk & chair, poor lighting)
- Poor working environment (noise levels, sedentary work)
- Psychosocial hazards
Not only is it important for the employer to assess the working at home environment, but workers should also take reasonable care for their health and safety when working from home. If a worker sustains an injury working at home while not complying with the procedures set out by the employer, they may not be eligible to claim compensation. Workers should report to their employer if their home workplace becomes unsafe. This way employers can cooperate to ensure workers are safe while working from home.
Need Advice on Your Working From Home Injury?
As an employee, the importance of understanding workers’ compensation cannot be overstated. Your safety, security, and peace of mind matter as much in your home office as they do in a traditional workplace.
If you have sustained a work injury at home and are unsure if you can claim compensation, contact Anvil Legal. Our workers’ compensation lawyers are here to help should you need legal guidance when navigating the intricacies of workers’ compensation in Perth. With expertise and a commitment to your well-being, Anvil Legal can provide the insights you need to make informed decisions. Get in touch to have your claim reviewed by our workers’ compensation lawyers.