Trends in workers' compensation: How safe is your hybrid workforce?

In some states, workers’ compensation programs have recently shifted to consider the injured worker’s physical and mental health along with their social environment to create more personalized treatment plans for injured workers. Photo: Siberian Art/Adobe Stock

Workers’ compensation insurance protects businesses and their workforce by providing benefits to employees who are injured on the job. These benefits can cover the costs associated with the injured employee’s medical care, address retraining costs and cover lost wages until the employee can return to work. The benefits can also compensate the employee for permanent disability if needed.

However, does workers’ compensation cover employees who are injured if the incident occurs somewhere other than the business’s physical location or job site? Many employees today enjoy the convenience and flexibility of a hybrid work environment that allows them to switch back and forth between working remotely and working on location throughout the workweek. While many employers started offering a telecommuting option several years ago, the popularity of hybrid or remote work grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many states had shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders set to help prevent the spread of the virus.