Businesses that employ home-based staff may have to revise certain parts of their operations after Telstra was forced to pay legal and medical costs to an employee who suffered work-related injuries while working from home.
Dale Hargreaves decided to take legal action against her employer after she slipped down the stairs twice in a matter of months, reported StartupSmart.
Telstra, a leading Australian telecommunications and information services company, argued that they were not liable as the injuries suffered by Ms Hargreaves occurred away from the designated workstation.
The first incident involved Ms Hargreaves going to get cough medicine in her socks. The second incident involved her locking the door in line with her company’s instructions, following a break-in at her home.
However, a tribunal found in Ms Hargreaves favour and asserted that they were in fact work-related. They explained that these incidents arose out of her employment with Telstra.
This could lead to businesses having to complete risk assessments and safety audits at the homes of their employees, reported the online news provider.
The Telework Association recently said that a new generation of green conscious workers are helping promote a flexible working agenda, which includes mobile working.
