Padua - Smart working has revolutionized the world of work in recent years, but legal protection in the event of accidents at home has often been a grey area. A recent ruling by the Tribunal of Padua now provides clarity and massively strengthens the rights of employees working from home. A 60-year-old administrative employee of the University of Padua, working in the law department, won recognition in court of a fall at home as an official accident at work.
Fall during the video conference
The incident occurred back in April 2022. During an ongoing online meeting on her home computer, the woman dropped documents on the floor that she needed for the meeting. While trying to pick up the documents, she tripped and sustained a double fracture of her right ankle. The injury was so serious that she had to be hospitalized and undergo surgery. In total, the woman was unable to work for 137 days.
Although the state occupational accident insurance company INAIL initially recognized the incident, it revised this decision shortly afterwards and classified the event as a pure „domestic accident“. This would have meant that the victim would have had to bear medical costs herself and would not have been able to claim a pension as a result of the accident.
Groundbreaking ruling with a signal effect
With the support of her trade union, the injured woman took her case to the labor court. The judges agreed with the plaintiff's arguments: as the fall was directly related in time and substance to the work activity - namely during an active meeting while handling work documents - classification as an accident at work was mandatory.
The court awarded the woman reimbursement of her expenses in the amount of around 1,300 euros as well as monthly compensation. In addition, a permanent disability of 9 percent was established. This ruling is considered groundbreaking in Italy, as it clarifies the boundary between private life and work in the home office and obliges employers and insurance companies to extend the protection of employees to the home environment if work is carried out there.
