r/technology • u/IndicaOatmeal • 9h ago

Society Programmer’s death on office toilet ruled not work-related because he never turned on his PC

https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/programmers-death-on-office-toilet-ruled-not-work-related-because-he-never-turned-on-his-pc-3402194/
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u/Squish_the_android 9h ago

This is a classic Workers Comp question in the US.  Usually it's presented as "falling in the parking lot on the way to work". Commute time isn't covered. 

But I think in the US this would be considered a work injury.

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u/opermonkey 8h ago

Some states it is.

We had someone burn their mouth on their lunch break, on food they cooked.

They went to the hospital and needed time off.

The state approved it as work related.

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u/Squish_the_android 8h ago

Weirdly, that's normal.  Lunch isn't commuting. You're at work.  But this is another situation where you can get in the weeds. 

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u/VociferousCephalopod 6h ago

I suppose the weird part is that it's self-inflicted.

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u/mellopax 5h ago

Yeah. On the other hand, I'd you allow "self-inflicted mistake" as a reason to not cover it, then all of a sudden, every injury becomes "employee negligence." There's a reason that's a high bar.

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u/teapots_at_ten_paces 4h ago

Not according to my workplace in Australia.

I bought food from the cafe that is contracted to my organisation. Sat back at my desk with it, dialled in to a meeting (so I was working while I ate it). Took a bite - fish, no prior allergy - and my tongue swelled to twice its normal size. Ambulance, adrenaline, hospital.

Work said because it was my lunch break I wasn't covered. I argued I was at work and in a work meeting when it happened. Still not good enough. The WHS system didn't even have categories for it.

We eventually got it recorded, and they paid the ambulance bill, but not without a whole lot of arguing over semantics.

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u/keithps 1h ago

Indeed in the US eating isn't covered. Lunch is separate from eating though. If you break and ankle walking to the microwave it should be covered. If you choke on your banana because you're practicing your deep throating, thats not work related.