University of Padua employee fractured ankle when getting up to fetch documents during video meeting
An Italian woman who fell and broke her ankle while working from home has obtained compensation in an unprecedented court ruling hailed a victory for workers’ rights.
In April 2022, the woman, an employee in the University of Padua’s law department, fractured her ankle in two places. The injury, which happened during a Zoom meeting where she fell after she got up from her desk to fetch documents, required surgery and treatment lasting more than four months.
The woman, 60, was denied benefits from Inail, the national body that manages mandatory insurance against workplace injuries and illnesses, because the accident occurred at home, meaning she was forced to shoulder the burden of the medical costs, including the hiring of a wheelchair.
The woman sought legal assistance from her workplace union, Federazione Gilda Unams (FGU), which in turn appealed to Padua’s labour court.
