Workplace injury
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Workplace injury
My employer requires the reporting of an on
duty injury within 24 hours.
My question is….my ‘injury’ is hand-wrist-finger
pain that has gotten worse over the last few
weeks to the point where it is difficult to do the
job. There hasnt been s single injury or
incident, it’s just gotten worse over time.
Have I failed to report this timely? I’m not sure
how to continue.
Thank you.
Asked on June 13, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Indiana
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Generally, this sort of repetitive strain or stress problem (which is what it sounds like) is not considered an "injury" in the sense that requires reporting like this--generally, the type of reporting requirement you describe applies to acute injuries, like cutting yourself, breaking something, etc. That said, if you don't have a written employment contract protecting your employment, you are an "employee at will" and your employer could choose to discipline you for not reporting this earlier (since if you are an employee at will, they could discipline you for any reason whatsoever). On the other hand, if it's affecting your job, the employer will notice soon, anyway; and you may be entitled to disability or some other compensation. You therefore most likely should report this.
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