Working From Home? Be Aware of Liability Issues Before They Sideline Your Business

Danielle Urban, a partner in the Denver office, was quoted in the July 8 Denver Business Journal article "Working From Home? Be Aware of Liability Issues Before They Sideline Your Business." The article noted that cost-saving measures and, in some cases, natural disasters, have caused some companies to require employees to work from home offices because the place of work has closed or been destroyed. Danielle said this arrangement opens up the employers and employees to different kinds of liabilities on both sides. She recommends that the circumstances and requirements of the new job environment be outlined in a contract. It should state that the employer reserves the right to check in on the employee's workspace at any time, and it should be clear about whether the company will use monitoring programs to check on employees. "Employers often give a handbook and think that's enough. They need a separate document that spells out the nature of the monitoring, and not all monitoring is appropriate."