As companies make and remake their plans to bring people back to the office, many professionals are expressing a strong desire to work from home, at least some days. For employers, the change represents risks. With employees working from home offices across multiple states and cities, the patchwork of employment laws across numerous jurisdictions can be a legal minefield. The Journal asked employment lawyers from three different Seattle firms to discuss these risks and offer advice on how employers should navigate the new reality of managing hybrid and remote workforces.
What's the No. 1 legal advice you would give employers whose workforce is shifting permanently to hybrid or remote work?
Marina Tsatalis, partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Implement a system to know where employees are. Employees have become more mobile. They may make a temporary move or a number of moves. Maybe it’s a periodic audit, or policy where they cannot move until they seek approval from HR. Figure out a way to know and create a clear policy that is distributed, followed, and covers all aspects of the hybrid environment.
Stephanie Wright Pickett, partner, K&L Gates
Reevaluate everything you do. There has been enough time and people are not coming back, so evaluate your workforce now, not based on how things used to be. We are no longer working in an emergency situation, which means any grace period is over and full compliance with applicable law is needed. Look at where your...
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