Many employers ask workers to take part in activities outside of their normal day-to-day job duties. This could include volunteering, working overtime on a special project, attending a conference or training, or participating in a company picnic or other work event.
If you are injured during one of these activities, you may wonder whether workers’ compensation applies.
When an activity is connected to your job, an injury that happens while participating may be considered work-related. However, whether an injury is covered by workers’ compensation depends on the specific circumstances.
Even when an activity is considered voluntary, employers still need to think about the health and safety of their employees.
Employers Should Consider Safety When Employees Volunteer
Employers should consider:
- Whether the protections normally provided to employees are still available.
- Whether there are special risks or hazards associated with the activity that need to be identified.
- Whether additional protections are needed if an employee is working alone.
Is the Event I’m Attending Voluntary or Work-Related?
Company picnics, holiday parties, softball games, volunteer activities, conferences, training events, and project celebrations can sometimes fall into a gray area between voluntary and work-related activities.
Even if an event is called “voluntary,” that does not automatically mean an injury is excluded from workers’ compensation.
Whether an injury at one of these events is covered can depend on several things, including whether your employer expected you to attend, whether the event happened during work hours, and whether your employer organized, sponsored, or paid for it.
What matters is what the event was, why you were there, and how closely it was connected to your job. Each situation is different and needs to be looked at based on the specific facts.
Have You Been Injured During a Work-Related Social or Volunteer Event?
If you were seriously injured during a work-related event, such as a company picnic, holiday party, conference, training, or volunteer activity, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
Donahoe Kearney has helped injured workers for over 30 years. Attorney Frank Kearney and our team can look at what happened, explain how the event may affect your D.C. workers’ compensation claim, and help you understand what to do next.
Call 202-393-3320 to talk with our team, or book a free consultation here.
Related Resources
What to Do When Your Workers’ Comp Case Is Denied in D.C.