Employee accidentally injures finger while working from home, company claims it's a work-related accident and bans working from home for all employees: 'My colleagues are annoyed with me'

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Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Sep 14, 2024 8:00 PM EDT

Getting injured on the job should always be taken seriously. There's a reason why nearly every workplace in America has OSHA standards posted on their wall…workers need to know that they have rights if they get hurt while at work. That's usually more applicable if you're working on a construction site or in a kitchen than if you're doing an office job that primarily comprises of sitting with a laptop. But no matter your job, there's always a chance that you will be injured while you're working it, so it's essential to know your rights.

But what if you're injured while at your home during work hours? A work-from-home employee recently went viral after accidentally cutting themselves while making lunch. They got stitches and didn't think much of it until their HR department found out and consulted their lawyers about it. Ultimately, this one foible caused the company to cancel working from home for all employees. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10403273984
    via Brian Patrick Tagalog

    Photo does not depict the real subject in the storry

  • 02
    Cut my finger working from home. Boss cancels all WFH immediately
    via u/Equivalent-Cup1511
  • 03
    So I was making lunch at home and cut my finger. We have good health insurance in this country so I had it stitched up and it didn't cost me anything. Anyone who works has state insurance for personal injuries etc.
    via u/Equivalent-Cup1511
  • 04
    Next day I was in the office and the colleagues asked what happened and I told them. HR decided that since it was during office hours it was a work-related accident and went through the trouble of reporting it and the lawyers had to get involved. It was so complicated. It didn't cost anything to just keep it "personal" but to change the report and insurance claim etc. cost the company quite a bit.
    via u/Equivalent-Cup1511
  • 05
    A week later the boss announces that WFH is no longer allowed due to insurance complications and now some of my colleagues are annoyed with me. Its clear that they were looking for a reason to get us all back in the office but I never expected that I would be it.
    via u/Equivalent-Cup1511
  • 06
    laddervictim Cut yourself again at work, make it your thing
    via u/laddervictim
  • 07
    awfeel This OP and make sure to cite returning to work as the stressor for why you were not fully attentive
    via u/awfeel
  • 08
    757_Matt_911 Was this on an unpaid lunch break???? I would argue that. That's like saying I went to a fast food place on lunch at work and slipped this it's a work related injury
    via u/757_Matt_911
  • 09
    randomly-what In the same logic if they drive to Wendy's for lunch and get in a wreck that was a work related accident
    via u/randomly-what
  • 10
    McGyver62388 In my job that would be a work related injury. They told us transit to the job and home from the job are included. They told us that when I got hired and was in my personal vehicle. Now I'm in a company work truck.
    via u/McGyver62388
  • 11
    KokoAngel1192 This has to be fake because no insurance company or lawyers would take cutting your finger in your own home seriously. Especially if the "victim" (you) are treating/reporting it as such. It's a complete waste of time/resources.
    via u/KokoAngel1192
  • 12
    24-Hour-Hate ...sooo...is all work from the office canceled if OP has a knife at their desk and cuts themselves eating their lunch? Oh, no, of course not because this is just an excuse to get rid of WFH.
    via u/24-Hour-Hate
  • 13
    Circumlerence Most likely it's Germany. At least here it's similar. While you work or are on your way from or to work you have a kind of private insurance paid by your employer. In your free time every employee has state insurance. And having a work-related injury treated under the state insurance is - I believe- considered fraud....
    via u/Circumlerence
  • 14
    SouthParking1672 yeah they do. i tripped on the step outside of our corporate office and sprained my wrist and it was a mandatory 3 days off paid. they made me go to the emergency room even though i didnt feel i needed it. all overblown but they took it very serious.
    via u/SouthParking1672
  • 15
    jcoddinc Meanwhile in America you could destroy your knee ligaments Waking in and they will look at you and say, "you look fine. If you need to go to the doctor do it on your own time. If you can't work you need to find someone to cover your shift"
    via u/jcoddinc
  • 16
    Lameador 22h ago Unfortunate European story but several euro countries have strict laws regarding workplace accidents, which makes those accidents quite expensive for companies
    via u/Lameador

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