GREAT GUIDANCE ON BROADENING OF UNEMPLOYMENT PROGRAM AND CHANGES TO BUREAU OF WORKER'S COMPENSATION LAWS WITH MORE REMOTE WORKERS
Here's an excellent COVID Unemployment fact sheet regarding changes to the unemployment program.
Are you concerned about BWC coverage for your employees who may be sent to work from home on a temporary basis? Each claim is unique and will have its own set of facts to guide us. Below is some BWC Guidance to keep in mind in the event that you have a teleworker who files a claim application. The scenarios described below are not all-encompassing but should give you some
direction as you investigate these instances:
Typically work from home employees are NOT covered if:
Worker trips over their dog and breaks their wrist while going to the
bathroomWorker decides to load some dishes in the dishwasher and cuts themselves
Worker goes outside their home to go for a walk and falls off their porch
Worker makes or gets lunch and gets food poisoning from it
Worker goes to McDonalds for lunch and gets in a car accident
Worker drives into the office to get work items needed for job but deviates from route to stop at the bank for personal reasons and gets into an accident
Typically work from home employees MAY be covered if:
Worker is at home workstation and reaches for a binder and hurts shoulder
Worker is at home workstation and chair breaks and they fall and hurt their back
Worker has poor ergo arrangement for their work station and develops wrist tendonitis
Worker drives into the office to get work items needed for job and gets into an accident