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Overview: When we think of "telecommuters," we often think of one who wants to work from home on a full time or semi part time basis. In a sense, however, almost every worker - at those on a semi or professional level is a telecommuter. We take our work home with us.

We take that laptop home and finish the work there or get up early in the morning and check our emails. We answer our emails off our blackberries or iPhones. And, there are the more traditional telecommuters who indeed workers on a full time or part time basis at home. It seems nice that we can have this option where we don't have to report to the office every single day. But what are the legal risks? How do you keep up with "hours worked" for those who are exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act? How do you monitor performance for those who work from home? What are the potential workers' compensation concerns? Just what are the legal risks?

Why should you attend: Let's face it - we are now working in a "virtual" world. No longer do we work in the office in the traditional sense. We work while driving because of cellular telephones and often work at home through the use of personal lap top computers. Just the availability of such technology has increased the demands from employees to allow them to work from home. Employers are finding that they have to address whether to offer the availability to work from home or "telecommute" as a benefit to employees. Employers, however, understand that there are many, many legal risks associated with allowing employees this benefit. Unfortunately, the law is not keeping up with this ever growing area of the law. The virtual world is expanding quickly, and the law is at a very slow pace. The questions have long been there, and courts are now starting to answers some of these very troubling questions. 

Areas Covered in the Session:

• What do we mean by the "virtual world"?
• Employer legal risks when their employees use cell phones, blackberries, laptops, etc.
• What do we truly mean by "telecommuting"?
• What does "course and scope of employment" mean in a telecommuting situation?
• How is the workers' compensation "coming and going" rule used in a telecommuting arrangement?
• What Fair Labor Standards Act should you consider in a telecommuting arrangement like timekeeping, travel time, etc.?
• Are you required to calculate the time an employee answers emails as "working time"? Can you apply the "de minimis" rule?
• What is OSHA's latest position with regard to telecommuting arrangements?
• Are there circumstances where the Americans with Disabilities Act can require an employer to allow an employee to telecommute?
• How to protect trade secrets in a telecommuting arrangement.
• What you should consider in a telecommuting agreement.
• What you should have in a cellular telephone policy.

Who Will Benefit:

• Human Resource Managers
• Managers/Supervisors
• Company Owners
• Workers' Compensation Adjusters