This audio conference was recorded on Tuesday - May 19, 2009

Credits:

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification.

Description:

Millions of workers enjoy the benefit of working from home. Employers also reap many rewards from engaging employees who work remotely. After all, telecommuting arrangements may help you cut down on operational costs and ensure a worker’s longevity and continued loyalty. But, with the benefits come significant legal risks:

• If you or your telecommuters aren’t properly keeping track of their hours, you could be on the hook for costly federal wage and hour violations.
• If you treat telecommuters less favorably than in-house workers – even if you don’t mean to – you could be sued for disparate treatment.
• If a telecommuter gets hurt in his or her home office, workers’ comp could kick in, even though the worker was never under your direct supervision.

Order this in-depth 90-minute audio conference all about these and the other risks and responsibilities that come with managing telecommuters. Our expert – an experienced employment law attorney – will cover proven strategies for executing an effective telecommuting policy, as well as how to avoid common wage/hour pitfalls and other thorny legal areas.

Speaker(s):

Mark Jacobs, Esq., is a partner in the Irvine, California, office of Fisher & Phillips, LLP. His practice is focused on defending employment-related lawsuits and administrative complaints on a variety of issues, including harassment, retaliation, and discrimination. Jacobs represents employers in both state and federal courts as well as before state and federal agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. He has expertise in handling complex, multiplaintiff harassment and discrimination matters, wage and hour, and other administrative matters.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• How to draft a legally sound telecommuting policy, establish solid procedures for policy adherence, and identify weak areas of your existing policy
• The best way to properly document and update telecommuting arrangements so that you can insulate yourself from liability as much as possible
• How to monitor telecommuters’ work-related activities so that you can protect your organization’s confidential and proprietary data
• The essentials of tracking telecommuters’ hours so that you’re not liable for overtime violations or unpaid travel time
• Whether the U.S. Department of Labor’s “homeworker’s exception” might apply to your workforce
• How to use objective criteria when evaluating telecommuters’ performance and avoid disparate treatment claims
• Why it’s important to analyze whether a telecommuter is an independent contractor under federal law
• How to recognize whether the remote workplace poses workers’ compensation risks
• How to handle telecommuters’ requests for accommodation under the ADA