More and more offices are reopening after years long allowances for their employees to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you had been one of those people who was lucky enough to be able to work remotely and you are being recalled back into the office now, it may take some getting used to getting back to the swing of being in a full time office all of the time.
Spending time in an office may seem daunting when you’ve been rolling out of bed five minutes before your shift starts and logging on to your computer in your very best sweatpants for over two years now. If this is your situation, not only are you going to have to relearn how to navigate the life of an office dweller once again, you’re going to have to remember how to do your job in a way that avoids a Connecticut workers’ compensation injury.
You may recall from your “former” life as an office dweller that any injury that occurs in a workplace may be considered a workers’ compensation claim. Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in or what your office setting is like, if you are performing the duties of your job and you experience an injury that will cause you to miss work, you may be entitled to file a claim.
Let’s focus on those returning to an office setting, because those folks are the ones that are among the last to return from their COVID-19 work-from-home related experiment. If you’re headed back to the office take note of some of these issues that could arise and cause you to get injured while at work.
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A trip and fall accident. While at home you may have stumbled a time or two getting from your computer to your kitchen to grab a cup of coffee, but at the office there are many more tripping hazards to be concerned about. Depending on your office setup you may pass over area rugs, stairs, door jambs and more that may become tripping hazards. Take the time to refamiliarize yourself with the office space before going full steam ahead with your old work routine.
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Repetitive stress injuries. Carpal tunnel syndrome is of course the most common of these repetitive stress injuries that you should be on the lookout for when you return back to the office, but it is certainly not the only injury that can come from the repeated activities you do at work. Be aware of any pain that may arise while you’re working as a result of the duties you’re performing while back in the office.
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Lacerations. Believe it or not the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that people who work in an office often find themselves struck and injured by moving furniture in the office place. This is likely not something you have had to deal with when working from home, but now back in an office could become an issue. You should beware of your surroundings and the potential hazards to your health that may be near.
A return to the office can be both intimidating and exciting, but it doesn’t have to be injurious. If it becomes that way you may have a reason to file a Connecticut workers’ compensation claim. Your first step should be to speak with your immediate supervisor if you are injured on the job, that is the first and most important step.
If you do find yourself injured after being back at work you may need to speak with a board certified workers’ compensation attorney. Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will speak with you and work with to guide you through the claims process.
