An employee burns himself in the kitchen after a meeting with coworkers and a supervisor; the injury occurred after drinking with other employees during the meeting. The drinking was condoned by the supervisor. Which is correct?

• A. The injury is compensable because the drinking was condoned by the supervisor.
• B. The injury is not compensable because the attendance at the meeting was voluntary.
• C. The injury is compensable because the attendance at the meeting was not voluntary.
• D. The injury is compensable because the consumption of alcohol occurred during work hours.

Answer: (A)

In California workers’ compensation, injuries that happen during an employer-sponsored or employer-condoned activity are typically considered to occur in the course of employment and can be compensable. Because the supervisor condoned the drinking, the meeting and the drinking became part of an employment-related event, not a purely personal or off-duty activity. The injury occurred during that work-related event, so it is within the scope of employment and eligible for compensation.

The other ideas focus on whether attendance was voluntary or on the clock, but those factors don’t override the fact that the employer sanctioned the drinking. When the employer (or supervisor) approves or organizes a social activity that involves alcohol, injuries arising from that activity are generally treated as work-related.