Employment law in real life (IRL) is vexing enough, with US employers required to navigate the complex federal, state and local laws and regulations that impact the employment relationship. Now family offices and businesses are making the leap into the virtual world, where employment law takes an even more challenging turn. The metaverse has opened the door to new risks that employers must anticipate and carefully consider. Below, we explore how these risks differ from what we see IRL.
What Is the Metaverse?
We previously defined the metaverse in our June insight, Real Estate Law May Soon Play a Role in the Metaverse – What Family Offices Need to Know. However, as a refresher, the metaverse is a mix of augmented virtual reality that operates with the help of blockchain functions such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies. Think of the metaverse as a universe with several platforms making up the actual virtual planets.
Work Is Inescapable;
So Are Work-related Lawsuits
The metaverse is identifiable by its attributes – synchronous, live interaction; persistent; available individually and concurrently with others; supported by a fully functioning economy; offering an experience to a wide range of contributors; and extensive interoperability. What could go wrong?
Well, of course, in order to enjoy a truly compelling virtual reality experience, the metaverse must resemble, well, reality. Just as Pretty Woman’s Beverly Hills shopping experience was not solely about...
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