Companies Should Avoid Pitfalls When Allowing Employees To Work At Home

Ray Haley, an attorney in the Louisville office, was quoted in the September 16 Business First of Louisville article "Companies Should Avoid Pitfalls When Allowing Employees To Work At Home." The article is one of a series the publication is presenting about the impact the closure of the Sherman Minton Bridge is having on the city. An estimated 90,000 commuters crossed the bridge daily. As workers struggle to find alternate routes during rush hour, human resources consultants and employment attorneys are offering advice for employers to establish telecommuting and other work arrangements. Ray said telecommuting requires a plan for measuring productivity. "Some jobs will require you to connect to an internal system so you know when someone is working. But in other cases, the supervisor isn't there to account for what's being done." He said employers should also consider who owns the equipment that workers will use from home and take steps to protect propriety or confidential information. Ray also noted that companies should think about when they will require employees to come to the workplace for meetings. While commuting time to and from work is not counted under state and federal wage laws, travel during the day counts as hours worked.