What is horseplay and why should it be avoided?

By Rosalind Asch-Hobeck

If you sustain an injury at work while engaging in horseplay—such as playing around, pulling pranks, or joking with coworkers—you may not be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Workers' compensation is designed to cover injuries that occur in the course of employment, and insurers often argue that horseplay is a deviation from work duties. Unless the activity was directly related to your job responsibilities or provided a clear benefit to your employer, the insurance carrier may classify your injury as resulting from horseplay and deny your claim.

To maximize your chances of securing benefits, it is crucial to be completely honest with your lawyer about the details of the incident. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can assess the facts and develop a strategy to demonstrate that your injury falls within the scope of your employment, increasing the likelihood of your claim being approved.

However, if an employee who was not involved in the horseplay gets injured due to the actions of others, they are typically still entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. This is because they were not active participants in the behavior that led to the injury, and their claim would generally be evaluated like any other workplace accident.

It is important to distinguish horseplay-related injuries from those that occur during employer-sponsored events, such as company picnics, holiday parties, or team-building activities. In these cases, whether an injury is covered depends on various factors, including whether attendance was mandatory, if the employer derived a benefit from the event, and the specific circumstances of the injury. Because these situations can be complex, consulting a lawyer is the best way to understand your rights and determine the appropriate course of action for pursuing benefits.