Are you looking to join the revolution by letting your employees work from home?
It might sound like a good idea, but you must take liability into account. A standard insurance policy may not cover a worker’s right to compensation. You need to inspect and update your insurance policy if you’re going to allow employees work from home.
Let’s take a look at some of the liabilities involved so you don’t have to contact a Tampa personal injury attorney anytime soon.
What if a Worker Gets Injured at Home?
You might think that a worker who gets injured at home wouldn’t be able to hold you liable. However, if we look at how these issues have been handled in the past we can see that this is far from the case.
Look at what the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) has to say on the matter. They say that during work hours it’s your duty to provide a safe working environment. So if they’re on the clock you’re liable.Make sure your insurance policy also covers workers who get injured at home because employees could be entitled to worker’s compensation.
What if a Customer Gets Injured in a Home Office?
The same rules apply to those who are self-employed. If a member of the public gets injured in a home office the business is liable.
This may not come as a surprise to you, but you may be surprised to find that your policy doesn’t cover this. Your public liability insurance must cover this eventuality clearly.
The Liability of Unpaid Overtime
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) stipulates that employers have an obligation to accurately log how long each employee works for.
This can create another liability because if an employee sues you for unpaid overtime, you won’t have any defense if you didn’t conform to the standards of the FLSA.
You must have a written policy in place and a mechanism for ensuring that telecommuting workers can sign in for work and when they sign out for the day.
How Can I Protect Corporate Data?
With 73% of Internet consumption coming from cell phones, data security is a big issue. We all know what the potential costs are of a major data breach.
So what can you do if your employee is working from home on a laptop or a cell phone?
The answer is company devices because you have clear control over them. Furthermore, you have the option of being able to create a written security policy to cover yourself in the event of an employee allowing their device to be breached.
Another option is to ensure everything that has to be accessed is available only via a network controlled by your company.
Of course, you can only minimize the risk you can’t eliminate it, but these steps will go a long way to covering you.
Last Word – Should I Allow Employees to Work From Home?
It may sound like a bad idea to allow telecommuting, based on this article, but that’s far from the truth. This guide is merely here to ensure that you’re fully protected against the risks.
It’s about covering yourself in case the worst possible scenario should occur.
If you have any concerns, schedule a consultation with an injury attorney today!
Author Bio: Douglas Pitassi is a small business blogger and freelance writer.
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