Working remotely or working from home has great appeal to employers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. WorldatWork, which is the membership society for compensation and total rewards professionals, recently published an article with a great summary of the major items that organizations, especially small and mid-size businesses and non-profits, should be aware of as we continue to adjust to a “new normal”.

Requirements for legal compliance in the age of remote work have not been suspended due to the pandemic. Employers must still comply with an array of legal and regulatory requirements, even though an employee is working from home rather than at a company location. Some employers are moving to a permanent remote workforce. With the changing work location circumstances, employers may need to review and update their approaches to:

• Employer handbooks and policies – Are changes needed?
• Required workplace notices – How do remote employees get notified?
• Workplace safety at home – Do OSHA standards and Workers Comp still apply?
• Wage and hour compliance – How can the FLSA requirements be maintained?
• Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities – How are ADA needs addressed?
• Family Medical Leave Act – How are FMLA requirements affected?
• Diversity & inclusion – Are any employees disadvantaged because of working remotely?
• Pay equity – How can employers assure that employees continue to be paid fairly?

There are many other operational considerations as well, such as data security and security of company-issued equipment, for which employers must have adequate safeguards in place.

If you have questions or concerns about designing and implementing changes to assure continued compliance with legal requirements, KardasLarson is available to assist you.