Remote-work accidents: why do the agreement, location and task matter?

Work-accident protection also applies to remote work

Portugal's Labour Code preserves work-accident compensation rights in remote work. Article 166 addresses the usual location in the agreement, while Article 170-A addresses application of the regime to remote performance. Assessment still requires the actual facts.

Sources: Diário da República — Código do Trabalho, artigos 166.º, 169.º e 170.º-A, regime de teletrabalho ↗

What the law says about location

Article 8 of Law 98/2009 frames a work accident through location, time and consequences for the worker. For remote work, paragraph 2(c) refers to the location stated in the agreement.

Keeping the agreement helps establish the arrangement. It does not turn every household injury into a work accident or settle all other assessment requirements.

Sources: Diário da República — Lei 98/2009, versão consolidada, artigo 8.º, local e tempo de trabalho ↗

Compare the agreement with actual arrangements

Our preparation exercise compares home and office days, agreed address, hours and tasks. If arrangements change, raise this with the employer so documentation and insurance information can be reviewed. Do not replace dates or locations in old documents to fit an event.

Ask for the reporting procedure and contacts. Keep an identified version of the agreement and confirmed changes rather than relying on scattered conversations.

Describe an event rather than labelling it

Fictional example: an employee falls at home on a remote-work day. A useful account records time, place, task, sequence and who knew about the event. 'An accident at home' leaves information out; 'the insurer must pay' assumes the conclusion.

Obtain necessary assistance and follow the reporting procedure. Keep available evidence without recreating it or publicly disclosing family images or clinical information. The connection with work and other requirements must be assessed through the appropriate process.

Prepare a focused review

For a work-accident insurance review with RMACHADO, explain that remote work is involved and describe the current arrangements. If an event has already occurred, identify it as a claims matter to obtain guidance on the proper channel and documents. A review request does not retrospectively alter the accident's circumstances.