Akerman Labor and Employment partner Mishell Parreno Taylor was quoted recently in a Law360 | Employment Authority analysis titled, "4 W&H Issues To Watch This Fall." In the article by Daniela Porat, Parreno Taylor said one concern employers must contend with is expense reimbursement, particularly in states like California that have business expense reimbursement laws. California Labor Code 2802 requires an employer to indemnify an employee "for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties." She added that the analysis of an employer's obligation in a remote or partially remote setup depends on each situation.
Parreno Taylor, who practices in California and Texas, said worker cellphone use is definitely an area with a lot of potential risk exposure for businesses. "You don't think about it, right?" she said. "People are just using their phones. But if they're using it for business purposes, then in states like California, there might be an obligation for reimbursement."
The article also covered workplace issues like pay transparency and lactation breaks for new mothers.