White-collar professionals working in office settings often take their health and safety for granted. They don’t have to handle dangerous machinery like blue-collar workers do or deal with as much criminal activity as retail employees do.
However, they have their own unique set of job hazards to consider. Office workers can end up sustaining electrical injuries because of equipment. They can fall and get hurt that way. While the risk of violence is often lower in an office setting than in a retail establishment, the potential still exists for a co-worker, client or member of the general public to commit a crime that injures office workers.
Repetitive strain injuries are arguably the most common office worker injuries. They may spend all day gripping phones or typing, and that eventually results in concerning symptoms. Can white-collar professionals seek workers’ compensation benefits for carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries?
Repetitive strain injuries can qualify for benefits
Eligibility for workers’ compensation does not depend on the industry in which a professional works. Instead, the main consideration is whether their injury or illness is a direct result of their job functions. Repetitive strain injuries in office workers often have a clear connection to their job responsibilities.
An administrative assistant, for example, may develop pain in their hands, wrists and forearms from constantly picking up the phone, handling files and typing. That pain may slowly worsen and may lead to reduced grip strength and range of motion if the condition progresses. Repetitive strain injuries can slowly worsen over time if workers do not receive treatment and take out accommodations to protect them.
Workers’ compensation benefits can cover pain management, physical therapy and even surgical procedures intended to treat repetitive strain injuries. They can receive medical benefits until they stop responding to treatment, at which point they may have a permanent partial disability.
Injured office workers can also rely on workers’ compensation for disability benefits. Time away from work is often necessary to improve repetitive strain injuries. Workers’ compensation can replace a portion of an employee’s wages until they can safely return to work.
Discussing job responsibilities and symptoms can help people evaluate their eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits. White-collar professionals dealing with repetitive strain injuries may be able to file a benefits claim.