Since March, many business owners have had to transition their organization to accommodate remote working and many businesses have realized the cost benefit.
Although remote work comes with it’s own set of liabilities, there’s a decrease in liabilities like slips and falls in the workplace and contracting COVID on the job. That’s why many business owners have turned to us to ask if they still need to provide workers’ compensation insurance while their staff is remote, and the answer is a resounding YES!
Here’s why:
Workers’ Compensation covers employees on the job, no matter where the incident occurs!
If your employees are injured while completing a work task during work hours, they may need to rely on workers’ comp. It’s better to protect yourself, your business, and your staff with the necessary insurance than having to pay out-of-pocket if an incident should occur.
However, the burden of proof lies with your employees.
Meaning, that they need to provide sufficient evidence that their incident and injury was work related. Evenso, the courts have found that working from home is not reason enough to deny workers their compensation benefits.
Here’s how you can limit liabilities even when you cannot fully control the working environment:
Define working hours, processes, & duties
Clear boundaries of what qualifies as work and what does not, as well as a clearly defined work day can help clear up any gray area when it comes to if an incident falls within the parameters of work. This would also include policies and processes for time management/tracking, any necessary equipment, and anything that will clearly set expectations.
Determine guidelines for home workspaces
Creating language about employee’s designated work areas and providing additional training surrounding safety measures at home can help workers reduce their chance of injury while working remotely.
Need guidance on just what types of insurance you need to provide your remote workforce? We can help! Call YUR agents to get started, at 610-770-6600.