Minneapolis Finance & Commerce (05/15/12) Dan Heilman

As more companies permit telecommuting, experts say they must pay close attention to legal issues that arise from working outside the office. Employers must take into consideration workers’ compensation issues, because the courts tend to view home locations as extensions of the workplace and hold employers at fault when injuries occur at home. Wage and hour issues also are a concern, with Minneapolis employment attorney Cynthia Bremer stating, “There has to be both a trust relationship and a written understanding that the employee is not using work time to do chores around the house and then checking his computer every so often.”