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.<\/p>\n
If you are injured during one of these activities, you may wonder whether workers\u2019 compensation applies.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 compensation depends on the specific circumstances.<\/p>\n
Even when an activity is considered voluntary, employers still need to think about the health and safety of their employees.<\/p>\n
Employers should consider:<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Even if an event is called \u201cvoluntary,\u201d that does not automatically mean an injury is excluded from workers\u2019 compensation.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 compensation benefits<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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\u2019 compensation claim, and help you understand what to do next.<\/p>\n Call 202-393-3320<\/a> to talk with our team, or book a free consultation here<\/a>.<\/p>\n What to Do When Your Workers\u2019 Comp Case Is Denied in D.C.<\/a><\/p>\n Waiting to Get a Workers\u2019 Comp Lawyer Can Cost You<\/a><\/p>\n
\nRelated Resources<\/strong><\/h4>\n