The coronavirus pandemic has shifted some employees to remote work permanently while others are telecommuting more frequently. Employers’ wage and hour policies and enforcement should account for the rise in telework.
“Ensure that employees understand that time spent checking e-mails is compensable,” said Ellen Bronchetti, a partner at McDermott Will & Emery in San Francisco, in a recent article by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). “Employers should conduct periodic audits to ensure employees are not checking e-mails off the clock.”
Consider requesting supervisors regularly certify that they did not call, text or e-mail a nonexempt employee outside workhours, Bronchetti said.
