Work From Home Injuries: Are They Covered by Workers' Comp?

The Legal Framework: AOE/COE

California workers' compensation covers injuries that are both Arising Out of Employment (AOE) and occurring in the Course of Employment (COE). This two-part test under Labor Code §3600 applies to all work injuries, whether they happen in a factory, an office building, or your spare bedroom.

Arising Out of Employment (AOE)

The injury must be caused by or connected to your work activities. It is not enough that the injury happened during work hours -- there must be a causal link between your job duties and the injury. For example, developing carpal tunnel from typing all day satisfies AOE. Tripping over your dog while getting a personal snack during a break may not.

In the Course of Employment (COE)

The injury must occur while you are performing work duties or activities reasonably incidental to employment. This includes reasonable breaks, bathroom trips, and activities that benefit the employer. COE is generally satisfied if the injury happens during your normal work hours while you are in your designated workspace.

The Home Office Complication

In a traditional workplace, the AOE/COE analysis is relatively straightforward -- if you are at work during work hours and get hurt, it is usually compensable. At home, the lines blur. Your workplace is also your personal space. You transition between work and personal activities fluidly. The question becomes: at the moment of injury, were you performing a work activity or a personal one?

Common Work-From-Home Injuries

Remote work presents unique injury risks that differ from traditional workplace hazards. Here are the most common WFH injuries we see:

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)

Repetitive strain injuries are the most common WFH workers' comp claims. When employees work from home, they often lack the ergonomic equipment provided in offices -- adjustable chairs, standing desks, keyboard trays, and monitor arms. Instead, they work on couches, kitchen tables, or makeshift desks, putting enormous strain on their wrists, hands, neck, and shoulders.

Common RSIs in remote workers include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome: From prolonged keyboard and mouse use without ergonomic support
• Tendinitis: Inflammation of tendons in the wrist, elbow, or shoulder from repetitive motions
• De Quervain's tenosynovitis: Thumb and wrist pain from excessive trackpad or phone use
• Trigger finger: From repetitive gripping or clicking motions

These cumulative trauma injuries develop over time and are treated the same as RSIs in traditional workplaces. The key is demonstrating that the injury is caused by work activities, which is straightforward when you can show daily hours of keyboard use for work purposes.

Back and Neck Injuries

Prolonged sitting in chairs not designed for office work is devastating to the spine. Home office setups frequently involve dining chairs, bar stools, or couches -- none of which provide proper lumbar support. Over months or years, this leads to:

• Herniated discs: From sustained poor posture
• Cervical strain: From looking down at a laptop screen (so-called "tech neck")
• Degenerative disc disease acceleration: Poor ergonomics can worsen pre-existing conditions
• Sciatica: Compression of the sciatic nerve from sitting

Slip, Trip, and Fall Injuries

Falls are the second leading cause of workers' comp claims nationally, and they happen at home too. Covered scenarios include:

• Tripping over power cords, cables, or equipment in your workspace
• Falling on stairs while moving between your workspace and a common area for a reasonable break
• Slipping on a wet floor while getting water during work hours
• Falling from an unstable chair that your employer provided or required you to use

Psychological and Stress Injuries

Remote work has been linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout. California does allow psychiatric injury claims under workers' comp, but they face a higher threshold. Under Labor Code Section 3208.3:

• You must have been employed for at least six months (with some exceptions)
• Work events must be the "predominant cause" (51%+) of the psychiatric injury
• The claim cannot be based solely on a "good faith personnel action" by the employer

Remote work-specific stressors that may support a psychiatric claim include constant surveillance software, unreasonable workload expectations, isolation from colleagues, blurred work-life boundaries, and harassment conducted through digital channels.

Eye Strain and Vision Problems

Extended screen time without proper lighting, anti-glare screens, or regular breaks can cause computer vision syndrome (CVS). Symptoms include blurred vision, headaches, dry eyes, and neck pain. While standalone eye strain claims are relatively rare, they can be part of a broader cumulative trauma claim that includes neck, shoulder, and headache complaints.

Documenting a WFH Injury

Documentation is critical for remote work injuries because there are no witnesses, no security cameras, and no employer-controlled premises. Here is how to build a strong claim:

For Sudden Injuries (Falls, Acute Pain)

• Report immediately: Notify your employer the same day, in writing (email or text)
• Photograph everything: Take photos of your workspace, the hazard that caused the injury, your injuries, and the equipment involved
• Note the time: Record the exact time of injury and confirm you were performing work duties
• Preserve evidence: Do not clean up or fix the hazard before documenting it
• Seek medical attention: Go to a doctor that same day and clearly state the injury is work-related
• Screenshot your computer: If your computer shows you were logged in and working at the time, capture that evidence

For Cumulative Trauma (RSI, Back Pain)

• Track symptoms over time: Keep a log of when pain started, how it progresses, and what work activities trigger it
• Photograph your workspace: Document the ergonomic deficiencies -- poor chair, laptop on kitchen table, no external monitor
• Save work schedule records: Show how many hours per day you spend at your workstation
• Document requests for equipment: If you asked your employer for ergonomic equipment and were denied, save that correspondence
• Get a medical evaluation: Ask your doctor to connect your symptoms to your work setup and activities

Employer Responsibilities for Remote Workers

Many employers assume their safety obligations end when employees work from home. They are wrong. California law imposes workplace safety duties on employers regardless of where the work is performed.

Providing a Safe Workspace

Employers have a general duty to provide a safe place of employment under Cal/OSHA. While Cal/OSHA enforcement in home offices is limited, the legal obligation exists. Employers who require or permit remote work should:

• Provide or reimburse ergonomic equipment (chairs, desks, keyboards, monitors)
• Offer ergonomic assessments for home workspaces
• Provide guidelines for setting up a safe home office
• Ensure employees take regular breaks from screen time
• Maintain workers' compensation insurance that covers remote workers

Equipment and Expense Reimbursement

Under California Labor Code Section 2802, employers must reimburse employees for all necessary expenditures incurred in performing their job duties. For remote workers, this includes internet costs, phone expenses, and office equipment. If you need an ergonomic chair or standing desk to safely perform your work, your employer may be obligated to provide or reimburse it.

Workers' Comp Insurance Coverage

Your employer's workers' compensation policy covers you regardless of where you perform your work. If you are injured while working from home during work hours performing work duties, you are covered. The insurance company cannot deny your claim simply because you were not in the employer's physical office.

Challenges Unique to WFH Claims

Remote work injury claims face challenges that traditional workplace claims do not:

Proving the Injury Was Work-Related

Without witnesses or surveillance footage, it can be harder to prove exactly what you were doing when the injury occurred. Insurance companies exploit this ambiguity. They argue you were performing personal activities, not work, when the injury happened.

The "Gray Zone" of Home Activities

At home, work and personal life overlap. Walking to the kitchen during a break, stretching between meetings, or handling a delivery during work hours -- these activities exist in a gray zone. California courts generally apply the personal comfort doctrine broadly, but each case requires specific analysis.

Pre-Existing Conditions and Home Environment

Insurance companies may argue that your home environment -- not work -- caused your condition. They might claim your back pain is from your own poor furniture choices, not from work demands. An attorney can counter this by showing that the employer required or permitted remote work, benefited from it, and failed to ensure a safe workspace.

Surveillance and Privacy

Some employers use monitoring software to track remote workers. While this raises privacy concerns, it can actually help your workers' comp claim by providing objective evidence that you were working when the injury occurred. If your employer uses such software, that data can support your claim.

The Hybrid Worker Situation

Many California workers split time between the office and home. Hybrid workers face unique considerations:

• Commuting day injuries: The "going and coming" rule generally bars claims for commuting injuries, but exceptions may apply if you are transporting work materials or making a work-related stop
• Equipment differences: If your employer provides proper ergonomic equipment at the office but not at home, cumulative trauma from home workdays may be stronger evidence of employer negligence
• Documentation: Track which days you work from home versus the office, as this establishes the pattern and exposure that supports cumulative trauma claims

What to Do If You Are Injured While Working From Home

Immediate Steps

1. Stop working and assess your injury
2. Photograph your workspace and any hazards
3. Note the exact time and what work activity you were performing
4. Report the injury to your employer in writing immediately
5. Seek medical treatment and tell the doctor it is a work injury
6. Request a DWC-1 claim form from your employer

Within the First Week

1. Complete and return the DWC-1 form
2. Consult with a workers' compensation attorney
3. Gather documentation (photos, work schedule, communications with employer about remote work)
4. Follow all medical treatment recommendations
5. Keep a daily log of symptoms and limitations

What About Mental Health Claims for Remote Workers?

Remote work can take a serious toll on mental health. Isolation, blurred boundaries between work and personal life, constant digital communication, and employee monitoring software all contribute to anxiety, depression, and burnout. California does recognize psychiatric injuries as compensable under workers' comp, but the threshold is higher than for physical injuries.

To succeed on a psychiatric claim as a remote worker, you must show that:

• Actual events of employment were the predominant cause (51% or more) of the psychiatric injury
• A licensed mental health professional has diagnosed a recognized psychiatric condition
• You have been employed at the company for at least six months (with exceptions for extraordinary workplace events)
• The claim is not solely the result of a lawful, good-faith personnel action

Examples of work-related stressors for remote workers that could support a psychiatric claim include unreasonable workload demands with no relief, constant surveillance through monitoring software creating anxiety, workplace bullying or harassment conducted through video calls and messaging, being required to be "always on" with no separation between work and home life, and witnessing traumatic events during video meetings (such as a workplace violence incident at a co-worker's location).

Preventing Work-From-Home Injuries

Prevention is always better than filing a claim. If you work remotely, take these steps to protect yourself:

• Invest in ergonomics: Request an ergonomic chair, external keyboard, monitor at eye level, and proper desk. Your employer should reimburse these expenses under Labor Code Section 2802
• Take regular breaks: Follow the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds) and stand/stretch every hour
• Set up a dedicated workspace: Avoid working from the couch, bed, or kitchen counter long-term
• Keep your workspace clear: Remove tripping hazards like loose cords, clutter, and obstacles
• Maintain good lighting: Reduce eye strain with proper task lighting and minimized glare
• Document your setup: Take photos of your workspace periodically so you have evidence if you ever need to file a claim

The Employer's Insurance Obligation

Some employers mistakenly believe their workers' comp policies do not cover remote employees. This is incorrect. Standard California workers' compensation policies cover all employees regardless of where the work is performed. If an employer authorized or permitted you to work from home, you are covered under their existing workers' comp policy.

If an insurance company denies your claim solely because you were working from home, this denial is likely improper. Under Labor Code §3600, the test is whether the injury arose out of and occurred in the course of employment -- not whether it happened at the employer's physical premises. An attorney can challenge improper denials and ensure your claim is processed correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions