
Introduction
In part one of this two-part blog, we discussed the rights and protections of remote employees under California law. This second part will cover the unique challenges, obligations, best practices, and other considerations involving remote work.
Addressing Unique Challenges in Remote Work
While remote work offers several benefits, including flexibility, reduced commuting time, and possibly increased productivity, it also involves some unique challenges. Those include:
- Communication: Effective communication can be more challenging when all or part of a team works remotely. Absent in-person interaction, there is a risk of misinterpretation, lack of clarity, and difficulty in building rapport.
- Collaboration: Remote work does not lend itself to spontaneous brainstorming sessions or quick discussions. Thus, collaborating on projects can be more difficult.
- Isolation: The isolation from colleagues that remote workers may feel could lead to feelings of loneliness and disconnection. Consequently, remote workers may face declines in morale, motivation, and mental health.
- Distractions: Maintaining focus and productivity can be challenging for remote workers. Distractions at home may include household chores, family members (including pets), or noisy environments.
- Boundary management: Remote work can make it difficult to establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. When remote workers struggle to switch off from work, it can lead to burnout and decreased job satisfaction.
- Technology issues: Technology glitches, such as internet connectivity issues, computer problems, and phone malfunctions can disrupt a remote worker’s productivity. IT support may depend on what is available in the worker’s geographic area.
- Time zone differences: When team members are located in different time zones, it may complicate scheduling meetings and coordinating work.
- Performance visibility: Some supervisors may find it more difficult to assess the performance of remote employees compared to those working in a traditional, in-person office setting.
- Onboarding and training: Employers may need to make extra effort to integrate and support remote workers who did not previously work for their employer in person.
- Security concerns: Situations where remote workers use personal devices or unsecured networks may pose security risks, such as data breaches or unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Dealing with these challenges requires proactive communication, robust remote work policies, investment in appropriate technology and infrastructure, and a supportive organizational culture that prioritizes the well-being and productivity of remote employees.
Seek Legal Action
Legal counsel can help you understand your rights, available options, and advise you on gathering the necessary documents and witnesses to support your claim.
Since 2001, the attorneys from Rothschild & Alwill, APC have dedicated themselves to workers needing legal assistance. Our experienced labor and employment lawyers can advise you on any potential legal claims. You deserve sound judgment, hard work, skilled representation, and to be treated with dignity during every step of the process.
Email us or call or office in our Central Valley office in Bakersfield at (661-369-8510) or in Santa Barbara at (805-845-1190) to schedule an initial confidential consultation at no charge. Se habla Español.
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Ways for Employees to Advocate for Their Rights
Unfortunately, working from home has allowed some employers to take advantage of their employees. In addition to understanding their rights, recordkeeping is vital for remote workers to support any legal claims or other concerns that may arise. Examples of important records include time sheets/cards, paychecks/stubs, work schedules, emails, voice mails, phone calls, text messages, and any other documents. Remote workers should also keep all job performance and productivity records. If an employer does not engage in, or communicate, any of the best employer practices described below, a remote worker needs to request that the employer do so.
Telecommuters must also keep in mind the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. To that end, remote workers should establish and maintain boundaries between work and personal life, for instance, setting designated work hours and taking regular breaks.
Best Practices for Employers
Below, we share some best practices to address the considerations described above and in part one of this blog.
Adapting existing policies to include remote work: Employers should review and update their policies to address specific challenges and considerations related to remote work.
Developing, adopting, revising, and consistently applying policies specifically regarding remote work. Such policies may include defining eligibility criteria for remote work. Employers should also establish clear expectations, including providing remote workers with an outline of their job duties and performance criteria. This document may include key information such as how to log in and out of work, work hours, check-in procedures, required tasks, data security, availability, reimbursement policies and procedures, communication protocols, productivity expectations, and deadlines. These policies may prohibit employees from working remotely from locations that do not have prior management approval. Furthermore, consistently enforced, uniform policies may help avoid discrimination issues.
Keep in mind that employers may need to revise their remote work policies to accommodate changing circumstances, technological advancements, and feedback from remote employees, coworkers, and customers/clients.
Providing resources and support. Employer resources and support to promote the safety and well-being of remote workers may include access to counseling services, legal assistance, and accommodations for disabilities and other challenges.
Communication and training. Similar to distributing the required workers’ rights postings, employers should communicate their anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies to remote workers and provide training on these policies regularly. Moreover, employers should proactively monitor remote work environments, including communications tools, for indications of harassment or discrimination and take prompt and appropriate action to address any complaints or concerns that arise.
Guidance on physical set up of home workspace. Employer guidance on setting up a suitable home workspace, including ergonomic considerations, equipment requirements, and suggestions for minimizing distractions may help improve productivity and employee well-being.
Monitoring and enforcement: Employers should actively monitor remote work environments for signs of harassment or discrimination and take prompt and appropriate action to address any complaints or concerns that arise. This may involve conducting investigations, taking disciplinary action against offenders, and providing support to victims.
Promoting a respectful work culture: Employers should foster a culture of respect and inclusivity in the workplace, whether in-person or remote.
Provide regular review and feedback. Regularly review and update telecommuting policies based on feedback from employees, managers, and stakeholders, and ensure that they continue to support the organization’s objectives and meet the needs of remote workers.
Responsibilities of Telecommuting Employees
In part one of this blog, we detailed the rights of remote workers, noting that applicable wage and hour and anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws apply equally to telecommuters. For employees, remote work also comes with applicable responsibilities. Those include:
- productivity;
- time management;
- open, timely, and effective communication, including communicating regularly with their supervisors and colleagues to provide progress updates and seek assistance or clarification when needed,
- data security, including safeguarding information and equipment; and
- adhering to their employers’ policies and procedures, particularly regarding discrimination, harassment, and security.
Conclusion
The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically altered the way that businesses around the world operate. Among these changes was a substantial increase in telecommuting. While the number of remote workers has decreased following the worst of the pandemic, those numbers are still significantly higher than they were before the pandemic. Thus, remote work arrangements are not going away anytime soon. Indeed, as technology advances, even more jobs may be a good fit for telecommuting.
Each remote work arrangement contains unique challenges and obligations on the part of both employers and employees. Do not navigate these challenges and obligations alone. Schedule a consultation with the experienced employment attorneys at Rothschild & Alwill, APC. They can advise you on how to make the best of telecommuting arrangements. Email us or call our office in our Central Valley office in Bakersfield at (661-369-8510) or in Santa Barbara at (805-845-1190) to schedule an initial confidential consultation at no charge. Se habla Español.
Igualdad de Oportunidades de Empleo y Título VII de la Ley de Derechos Civiles
La Igualdad de Oportunidades de Empleo y el Título VII de la Ley de Derechos Civiles son fundamentales para garantizar la equidad y la igualdad en el lugar de trabajo, protegiendo a las personas de la discriminación basada en raza, color, religión, sexo, origen nacional y otras características especificadas por la ley. Los empleadores están legalmente obligados a cumplir con estas regulaciones para fomentar un ambiente de trabajo libre de discriminación y acoso.
La Igualdad de Oportunidades de Empleo se refiere al principio de que todos deben tener igual acceso a las oportunidades de empleo y no deben ser discriminados por características como raza, color, religión, sexo (incluido el embarazo), origen nacional, edad (40 años o más), discapacidad o información genética. El objetivo de la EEO es asegurar que todas las personas tengan una oportunidad igual de competir por empleos, recibir un trato justo en el lugar de trabajo y tener acceso a oportunidades de avance basadas en sus habilidades y capacidades.
El Título VII es una ley federal emblemática en los Estados Unidos que prohíbe la discriminación laboral basada en raza, color, religión, sexo y origen nacional. Se aplica a empleadores con 15 o más empleados, así como a agencias de empleo, organizaciones laborales y gobiernos estatales y locales. El Título VII cubre varios aspectos del empleo, incluyendo la contratación, despido, promociones, salarios, beneficios y otros términos y condiciones del empleo.
Protecciones Específicas de California
California ofrece protecciones adicionales a través de legislación específica del estado. La Ley de Vivienda y Empleo Justo (FEHA) es una ley integral que prohíbe la discriminación, el acoso y las represalias en el empleo basadas en una amplia gama de características protegidas, incluyendo raza, género, orientación sexual y discapacidad.
La Ley de Derechos de la Familia de California (CFRA) permite a los empleados tomar hasta 12 semanas de licencia sin goce de sueldo por ciertos motivos familiares y médicos sin temor a perder su trabajo. Además, la Ley de Igualdad Salarial de California obliga a los empleadores a proporcionar igual salario por trabajos sustancialmente similares, sin importar el género, la raza o la etnia. Estas protecciones específicas del estado a menudo ofrecen una cobertura más amplia que las leyes federales, proporcionando salvaguardas más fuertes para los empleados en California.
Entender estos marcos legales es esencial para reconocer y abordar la discriminación en el lugar de trabajo. Los empleados equipados con este conocimiento pueden proteger mejor sus derechos y buscar los remedios apropiados cuando enfrenten prácticas discriminatorias
REMEDIOS LEGALES Y COMPENSACIÓN
Cuando un empleado prueba con éxito un caso de discriminación en el lugar de trabajo, varios remedios legales y formas de compensación pueden estar disponibles. Estos remedios tienen como objetivo compensar a la víctima y prevenir futuras discriminaciones.
- Compensación Monetaria: Las víctimas de discriminación pueden recibir diversas formas de compensación financiera. Esto incluye pago retroactivo por salarios perdidos, pago adelantado por futuras pérdidas de ingresos y daños compensatorios por angustia emocional. En algunos casos, se pueden otorgar daños punitivos para castigar al empleador por una conducta particularmente grave.
- Pago Retroactivo: Cubre salarios y beneficios perdidos debido a la discriminación.
- Daños Compensatorios: Abordan daños no económicos como la angustia emocional.
- Daños Punitivos: Sirven para castigar al empleador y disuadir futuras malas conductas.
- Reincorporación o Promoción: Los tribunales pueden ordenar al empleador que reincorpore al empleado a su puesto anterior o le proporcione una promoción si la discriminación impidió un avance.
- Cambios en las Políticas y Capacitación: Se puede requerir a los empleadores que implementen nuevas políticas, realicen sesiones de capacitación y tomen otras medidas para prevenir futuras discriminaciones. Esto puede incluir revisar las políticas del lugar de trabajo, llevar a cabo capacitaciones de sensibilidad y asegurar procedimientos adecuados para manejar quejas.
CONSULTA CON EXPERTOS
Es importante buscar asesoramiento legal consultando con un abogado laboral que se especialice en casos de discriminación en el lugar de trabajo. Un abogado puede ofrecer asistencia valiosa en entender tus derechos, evaluar la fortaleza de tu caso y navegar el proceso legal. Pueden ayudar a recopilar evidencia adicional, representarte en negociaciones o en la corte y trabajar para lograr una resolución justa. Consultar con un abogado desde el principio puede mejorar significativamente tus posibilidades de un resultado exitoso y asegurar que tus derechos estén plenamente protegidos.
CONCLUSION
Entender y ejercer tus derechos en el lugar de trabajo es crucial para protegerte contra la discriminación. Reconocer las señales de discriminación, documentar incidentes, reportar a través de los canales adecuados y buscar asesoramiento legal son pasos esenciales a seguir si experimentas comportamiento discriminatorio. Manteniéndote informado y proactivo, puedes ayudar a crear un ambiente de trabajo justo y respetuoso para ti y para otros.
Rothschild & Alwill, APC, se especializa en manejar problemas relacionados con la discriminación en el lugar de trabajo y ofrece orientación experta y apoyo legal. Ya sea que necesites ayuda para abordar la discriminación, el acoso u otros asuntos de derecho laboral, contactar a Rothschild & Alwill, APC, puede proporcionarte los recursos y la defensa necesarios para enfrentar estos desafíos de manera efectiva. Envíanos un correo electrónico o llama a nuestra oficina en el Valle Central en Bakersfield al (661-369-8510) o en Santa Barbara al (805-845-1190) para programar una consulta confidencial inicial sin cargo. Se habla Español.