An employee who suffered an injury returning from a coffee break
at a café was not entitled to compensation from the injuries
at work insurance body, according to the Italian Supreme Court.
Background
An employee suffered an accident on her way back to work from a
café (there was no canteen service at the workplace), where
she had taken a short coffee break. The break was authorised by her
employer. The employee took legal action against the National Body
for Insurance of Injuries at Work (INAIL) for compensation for
damages, since national insurance for injuries at work covers all
cases of injury that occur 'during work
activity'.
Both the first instance Tribunal and the Court of Appeal of
Florence accepted the employee's claim. INAIL appealed this
decision before the Supreme Court, which has now rejected the
employee's claim for compensation.