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In our March newsletter, we published an article about things to think about if you’re considering allowing employees to work remotely on a permanent basis.  In this article we take the discussion one step further and discuss considerations if your company receives a request from a permanently remote employee to relocate to another state.

Because the labor market is still relatively tight and employers are concerned about keeping their “A” players, many are now considering allowing their employees to work remotely on a permanent basis.

While this may sound pretty straight-forward (the employee has a laptop and phone, so what’s the harm in allowing them to work from wherever they want?), there are several things to consider first, including the fact that this decision could actually increase your travel expenses, before determining if permanent remote work is a prudent move for your company.

In California, Labor Code 2802 requires employers to reimburse California employees for "all necessary business expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties." So let's break that down further.

At the beginning of Spring, many businesses were forced to switch from an onsite workforce to remote operation. As we move into Summer, some businesses are slowly returning to the office. The last few months have taught many employers from various industries and with various job levels that remote work can be accomplished in a productive manner. 

Today many of us have to conduct phone and virtual meetings or trainings from home, which is providing us with additional hurdles to overcome. With shelter-in-place rules, employees are sharing workspace with their spouses, children, and other family members and it is not easy! Working parents who are performing double duty with educating their children must be masters in their paying jobs and at parenting.