Ask HR: Do We Have to Provide Workstations for Remote Employees?
Companies of all types are hiring increasing numbers of remote workers, or starting to hire them for the first time. When you hire a remote worker, are you obligated to provide them with a desk and chair for their home office? This seems like a question with many variables. Let's let the expert HR professionals at HR Support Center take it from here.
Question:
Our employees are mostly remote workers. Do we have to provide their workstation desk and chair or are the employees responsible for this equipment?
Answer from Eric, HR Pro:
You can provide this equipment for your remote employees, but you usually do not have to do so.
In some states (such as California), an employer is required either to provide employees with the tools and items necessary to complete the job or to reimburse employees for these expenses. However, workstation equipment like desks and chairs is usually not included in this category of necessary items.
The advantage of providing such equipment is that employees may be happier with their work situation and might use company equipment in a safer manner than they would their own. The disadvantage is shipping costs and the potential for waste. Some employees may not want this equipment in their homes, already having their own preferred workstation.
In nearly every telework arrangement I have been involved in or analyzed, the employee provided their own workstation. The bottom line is that employees can often work wherever they prefer: a home office, their kitchen, the local coffee shop. The place an employee does their work is really up to them. In addition, OHSA has stated that they have no intention to inspect employees’ homes for workplace safety. The safety of an employee’s home workstation is their own personal responsibility.
There is one exception, however. An employee might request a device or some form of furniture as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so they can perform the essential functions of their job. In such cases, you would consider it like any other ADA request. Providing a back support cushion or computer stand, for example, would probably not be an undue hardship, and therefore something you should do.
This content came from a team of HR professionals at HR Support Center. Businesses like yours can pay a yearly fee for HR Support Center and receive awesome subscription perks like these:
* Legal advice
* Employee handbook help (creating a new one or updating an existing
one)
* Custom HR forms, letters, tools, and other documents
* Tons of Q&A
* News on government activity that could affect you
* Training on common HR activities like hiring
* Thought leadership articles
The list goes on. HR Support Center is not only feature rich, it's inexpensive: one entire year of HR Support Center is cheaper than one hour of a typical attorney's time. Contact us today to sign up.
Subscribe to Our Resource Center Digest
Enter your email below to receive a weekly recap of the latest articles
from Paycor's Resource Center.
Check your inbox
for an email confirming your subscription. Enjoy!
Buyer's Guide To HCM And Payroll Technology
An HCM platform is the foundation of your business, and choosing the technology is one of the most important decisions you'll make.
Get ExpertiseMore to Discover
Payroll Errors: 12 Common Mistakes You Might Be Making
Payroll Matters The payroll process is a necessary component of any business and The Department of Labor (DOL) keeps a close eye on businesses to help ensure they pay their employees correctly, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and state taxing authorities are always going to make sure they receive the appropriate tax payments. 12 Common Errors to Avoid Everyone makes mistakes, and we’re hopeful they’re caught before anything bad happens. But it’s imperative to make sure that you’re not making any of these relatively common payroll mistakes if you manually calculate payroll in-house. Misclassifying employees and contractors In the gig economy, temps, freelancers, consultants and other independent contractors are commonly found in...
Dayrise Residential Outgrows Their PEO
Dayrise Residential had a great problem. Founded in 2011, this multifamily housing and operations company now manages nearly 80 properties in eight states and employs, at any given time, close to 500 people. As the Dayrise business grew, they found that their HR and Payroll needs were outgrowing their PEO. Dayrise needed to streamline their recruiting process to keep pace with the demands of filling new positions. And once the recruiting problem was solved, they needed help onboarding and training employees. They also needed access to their data and analytics—and their rigid PEO partner just couldn’t make it happen. So Dayrise met with Paycor. What impressed them right away was that Paycor is not in the business of flashy demos and “...HR
Lunch Break Laws By State
Lunch Breaks Aren’t a Requirement for Employers Most employers provide their employees with a paid or unpaid lunch break and some provide additional rest break periods. But did you know that breaks aren’t required by law? Federal law, anyway. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the law that governs wages and hours, does not mandate that employers provide meal or rest breaks to employees. Like many other federal laws in the human resources space, some states have stepped in to bridge the gap. Here's What You Need to Know The federal law dictates that if an employee gets meal or rest breaks, the company does not have to pay them for that time unless: State law requires paid breaks The employee works through a break time (e.g., if they eat...HR
