Yes, in many cases.
WorkCover is Queensland's workers' compensation scheme, and it often still covers you in the event you’re injured while working away from your usual job, including at home, at a client's site or while travelling for work.
The place the injury happened isn’t important, it’s whether the injury came about during the course of your employment and if your work was a significant contributing factor.
What “Working Away From Your Workplace” Really Means for Cover
More and more Queenslanders now split their time working between the office, their home, client sites and travelling.
The good news is that WorkCover cover was never tied to a single location. As per Queensland legislation, an injury is covered when it arises out of, or during, your employment, and employment is a significant contributing factor.
"In the course of employment" means the injury occurred while you were doing your job or something connected to it. "Arising out of employment" means the work itself caused or contributed to the injury.
Only one of these needs to be true in order to satisfy the requirements for compensation. We look into the difference in more detail in our guide to arising out of versus in the course of employment.
The practical implications are simple: if you were doing work expected of you by your employer, where you were is not usually the deciding factor. A back injury suffered while lifting a box in a warehouse and one suffered while lifting a box at a client's office are assessed the same way.
What Is and Isn’t Usually Covered
The table below contains some common off-site situations and how WorkCover generally assesses them. Each claim is decided based on its individual facts, so treat this as a guide, not a set of steadfast rules.
According to WorkSafe Queensland, an employer's duty of care extends to workers who work from home, so workers must follow all safety policies and instructions from their employer. Adhering to employer requirements helps with a claim, but cover still depends on the section 32 test.
Common Scenarios and Questions
Am I covered if I work from home?
Often yes, if you were injured while actually doing your job. If you hurt yourself while working from home with your employer's permission, whether you have written permission or not, you can usually still claim. The connection between the injury and your work is what’s most important. An injury that happens during a clearly personal activity, like mowing the lawn, wouldn’t be covered. Our guide on being injured while working from home has more specific details.
What if I got hurt at a client's office or site?
You will normally still be covered because you were there for work. If you’re injured on a client's premises, at a supplier's site or in any location your employer sent you to, it’s usually still treated as an injury during the course of your employment. If the cause of your injury was a hazard at that location, or someone there was negligent, you may also have a separate claim, which we explain below.
Am I covered for travelling between job sites during the day?
Usually yes. The time you spend travelling from one work location to another during your working day is generally treated as part of your employment, not as a journey to or from work. That distinction is key because the deviation and interruption rules that apply to home-to-work journeys don’t apply in the same way to time spent travelling between jobs. Our guide to WorkCover and injuries while travelling for work has more information.
Am I covered while driving to and from work?
Queensland still covers many of these journeys, unlike some other states. Section 35 of the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) covers injuries that happen on some journeys, including between your home and work. The journey to work begins at the boundary of your property, so an injury that happens inside your home before you leave is handled differently from one on the road.
What about an interstate or overseas work trip?
You can still be covered by Queensland WorkCover in many cases. If your usual base of employment is in Queensland and you are sent interstate or overseas temporarily for work, your Queensland cover will likely travel with you. Longer or permanent relocations can change which state's scheme applies, usually after 6 months. If you regularly cross state borders while working, get advice as early as possible so you claim under the right scheme.
What if I was injured on a break while working from home?
A break does not automatically prevent cover. An injury that occurs during an ordinary, authorised break can still be connected to your employment. Whether the break was a normal part of your working arrangement, and whether the activity was reasonable, is what’s most important. A clearly personal task unrelated to work wouldn’t be covered.
The Legal Framework in Plain English
A few sections of the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) shape off-site claims.
- Section 11 sets out who counts as a worker. Most employees are covered, and some contractors can be, too.
- Section 32 defines injury and sets the core test: your injury must arise out of, or during the course of, your employment, with employment being a significant contributing factor.
- Section 35 provides cover for certain journeys, including between home and work.
- Section 36 can reduce or remove journey cover if there was a substantial delay, interruption or deviation.
- Section 131 sets the time limit to lodge a claim; generally 6 months from when your injury and entitlement arise.
What this means for you: a WorkCover statutory claim is the starting point for any work injury, regardless of where it happened. It is a no-fault scheme, so you won’t have to prove there was someone to blame in order to receive wages, medical expenses and rehabilitation while you recover.
To understand what those benefits include, read our guide to what payments WorkCover covers in Queensland.
When to Get Legal Advice
Most off-site claims can be lodged without a lawyer, but you should definitely get legal advice if:
- WorkCover disputes that your injury is connected to your work.
- Your claim is rejected because you were at home or off-site when the injury happened.
- Someone else's negligence contributed to your injury, for example an unsafe client site.
- Your injury is serious or may have a lasting effect on your ability to work in the future.
If negligence contributed to your injury, you may be able to pursue a separate claim on top of your WorkCover claim. This is where representation is key; insurers know that an unrepresented worker is highly unlikely to take a matter to court themselves, which reduces the pressure on them to offer fair compensation.
With a lawyer acting on your behalf, the insurer will know the claim can go to court if it is not resolved reasonably. Most matters are settled without a hearing, and early advice helps protect your position and ensures you don’t miss any strict deadlines.
Key Takeaways
- Cover follows the work, not the location. If you were injured doing your job while at home, a client site or on the road, you can still claim in many cases.
- The test is section 32. Your injury must arise out of, or during the course of, your employment, with work a significant contributing factor.
- Home injuries can be covered. Work tasks at home with your employer's permission generally qualify, but personal activities do not.
- Queensland still covers many journeys. Travel between job sites and many home-to-work journeys can be covered, subject to deviation rules.
- Lodge within 6 months. The time limit under section 131 is strict, so take action early even if you are unsure.
Get Help Now
If you have been injured while working away from your usual workplace in Queensland, you can talk through your situation with our team. Call 1800 960 482 or enquire online. All cases are handled under our No Win, No Fee, No Catch® promise.
We will listen to what happened and explain your options in plain English, with no obligation to proceed. You can also use the form below to request a free case review.
