Legal Definitions - bunkhouse rule

The bunkhouse rule is a legal principle within workers' compensation law. It states that if an employee is required to live in housing provided by their employer, any injury they suffer within that housing is generally considered work-related and compensable, even if the injury occurs during their personal, off-duty time. This rule recognizes that when an employer mandates on-site living, the employer's premises become an extension of the workplace, and the risks associated with that living arrangement are intertwined with employment.

Here are some examples to illustrate the bunkhouse rule:

• Remote Construction Site: A construction worker is assigned to a remote pipeline project and is required to live in a company-provided temporary bunkhouse near the work site. While off-duty one evening, he slips on a wet floor in the communal shower area of the bunkhouse and breaks his arm.

  Explanation: The bunkhouse rule would likely apply here. Even though the worker was off-duty and engaged in a personal activity (showering), his residence in the employer's housing was a condition of his employment due to the remote location. The injury occurred within the employer-mandated living environment, making it compensable under workers' compensation.

• Agricultural Farm: Migrant farmworkers are provided cabins on the farm property as part of their employment agreement, as the farm is in a rural area with limited alternative housing. One evening, after their shift, a worker is cooking dinner in their cabin and suffers a severe burn due to a faulty stove provided by the employer.

  Explanation: This situation falls under the bunkhouse rule. The employer provided the housing and the appliance, and the worker was required to live there. The injury, though occurring during off-duty hours and a personal activity (cooking), happened within the employer's premises and involved employer-provided equipment, thus linking it to their employment for workers' compensation purposes.

• Offshore Oil Rig Crew: An engineer working on an offshore oil rig is part of a crew that works rotating shifts and is required to live in dormitory-style accommodations on the rig itself during their work rotation. During his scheduled downtime on the rig, he is walking to the recreation room and trips over a loose floor panel, spraining his ankle.

  Explanation: The bunkhouse rule would apply in this scenario. The engineer's residence on the oil rig is a mandatory condition of his employment. Even though he was off-duty and engaged in a personal activity (walking to a recreation area), the injury occurred within the employer's controlled living environment, making it compensable under workers' compensation.