Would an injury suffered by an employee who breaks into his place of employment after hours be covered by worker's compensation insurance?

In general, worker's compensation insurance is designed to cover injuries that employees sustain while performing job-related duties or while engaged in activities that benefit the employer within the scope of their employment. For an injury to be covered under workers' compensation, it must occur in the course of employment.

When an employee breaks into their place of employment after hours, they are not engaging in an activity related to their job duties or acting in a manner that benefits the employer. Rather, they are committing an unlawful act (breaking and entering). Because of this, the situation falls outside the boundaries of what is considered "work-related." Worker’s compensation does not extend to injuries resulting from illegal activities or actions taken outside the parameters of employment.

Therefore, the injury sustained during a break-in would not be covered under worker's compensation insurance, as the employee was not acting within the scope of their employment at that time. This aligns with the principles of how worker's compensation is designed to function in protecting employees while they are engaged in their official work activities.