Proper ergonomics will help remote employees avoid injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, low back and neck strains. Such ailments can quickly become workers' compensation claims. (Photo: Shutterstock)
As organizations bend to economic headwinds caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, prevention and early detection of potential claims will also be critically important to contain and mitigate balance sheet exposures. First-responders, healthcare workers and "essential" personnel will all be affected by COVID-19, necessarily resulting in significantly greater numbers of workers' compensation claims.
Shelter-in-place requirements have forced organizations to abandon their traditional offices in favor of 'home offices.' Such arrangements may lack appropriate equipment and may cause ergonomic injuries, leading to greater workers' compensation claims. And as economic pressure forces some organizations to consider furloughs or reduction-in-force (RIF) actions to stay afloat through these troubling times, experience suggests that if handled improperly, such actions will result in further workers' compensation claims.
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
