Teleworking can move class codes, hike repetitive stress injuries

The shift to teleworking and permanent teleworking could lead to lower loss costs but an increase in repetitive stress injuries, according to two reports published Monday by the National Council on Compensation Insurance.

Before the pandemic, only 6% of the US workforce worked primarily from home and three quarters of the workers had never worked from home. In May 2020, however, during COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdowns, more than a third of employees worked from home, with office-based and professional occupations leading the transition to teleworking.

Excluding existing office workers and office workers, Boca Raton, Florida-based NCCI found that work compensation class codes with higher telecommunications potential tend to have lower loss costs than others.

In the office and office industry group, the clear code for teleworking accounts for less than one percent of wages in the United States; the clerical office's class code constitutes 30% of the salary. While companies have continued to report exposure in their traditional class codes, if the transition to teleworking for these workers becomes permanent, the workers' industry may see "the impact of wage shifts among classifications" in 2021

and beyond, according to the report. [19659002] The office and office group also have lower average loss costs and account for almost 60% of salary exposure but only 11% or premium. But the transition to telework and home offices that are not ergonomically correct and / or improvised can lead to more repeated stress injuries and an increase in slipperiness and falls, the report noted.

More insurance and work compensation news about the coronavirus crisis here .

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