November 16 Tip of the Week

With the rapid expansion of work from home arrangements, employers can be left wondering whether they must pay for an employee’s remote work expenses including home or cell phone plans and internet expenses.  The answer, as is often the case in employment law, is it depends on the state involved.  For those employers in the state of California, employees who are required to work from home due to COVID-19 worksite closures must be reimbursed for expenses they incur as a consequence of discharging their job duties, which includes expenses like phone and internet service.  Other states have followed suit and enacted similar legislation including Illinois and New Hampshire, so employers should review the laws at play in the states where it employs workers to ensure employees are properly compensated for any necessary business expenses they incur while working remotely.  Consult with our attorneys for expert guidance on wage and hour laws in the states where your company operates.