Are employees covered under workers’ comp while driving to work?

States disagree on the “driving to work” question. But typically if an employee works at the same place every day and travels back and forth, they are not covered under workers’ comp.

There are exceptions. Each instance depends on the assignment and if the employee is doing anything connected to work.

If your client asks a worker to perform a duty on the way to or from home and an injury occurs, that employee is covered. If a worker leaves home and travels directly to a remote job site or a client’s business, they are covered from the time they leave home.

States are using what could be called the “Google Rule.” If an employee was going from home to a client’s office and had an accident, your clients can calculate the shortest Google map route to get there. Did they take the shortest distance or go a roundabout way to run errands, for instance? If personal time was involved, workers’ comp may not be responsible.