Employee Accident on Official Duty: Does Your Company Cover Medical Costs and Paid Leave?

Please help me to know if an employee goes out of the office for official work and meets with an accident, will the company cover the employee's treatment and provide paid leave for bed rest, or can the company ignore this liability?

I often travel outside the office for official compliance work but do not have any documented security or safety assurance.

Regards,
Sahdev Kashyap

When an employee is out of the company and meets with an accident, the company is liable to pay and cover all medical and hospital expenses. If the employee is not on duty, the company will provide a group insurance policy that the employee can use for treatment, or they can utilize the insurance from ESI for all necessary treatments.

Regards,

Employee Compensation Act Overview

Please refer to the Employee Compensation Act (formerly known as the Workman Compensation Act). It clearly states that the employer is responsible for compensation in case of any accident that occurs while the employee is on duty, whether inside or outside the office.

Compensation Details

Compensation is clearly defined in the act for both temporary and permanent disabilities. The days you are forced to take bed rest will be counted as 100% temporary disability. Most companies would avoid trouble and pay the entire salary for the days you are forced to stay away from the office due to recovery from the accident.

Medical Costs and Reimbursement

Furthermore, the act also clearly states that the medical costs related to the accident need to be reimbursed by the employer. This is without limit and applies as long as you do not fully recover from your injury. It will be payable even if your services are terminated.

Having a stated policy and procedure in the company will help, but if you don't have it, the above rules still apply.