Employment Law: Working from Home—Is the Trip to Buy Lunch Covered by Workers’ Compensation?

Whether an accident that occurs while buying food while working from home is recognized as a work-related accident depends largely on whether eating serves to maintain the employee’s ability to work and whether the activity is organizationally integrated into company operations. This is demonstrated by two rulings from the Hessian State Social Court: In one case, an accident was recognized as work-related (ruling of April 28, 2026, Case No. L 3 U 189/24), whereas in another case it was not (decision of May 19, 2026, Case No. L 3 U 176/25)…