Managing Risk with the New Remote Workforce

Earlier this month, ABD invited some of our leaders in HR Consulting, Property & Casualty, and Risk Control to discuss one of the COVID-era changes most likely to endure for years to come: the new remote workforce. Working from home during the pandemic shifted employees’ and employers’ attitudes towards remote work, as more than 50% of employees who report that their job can be done from home say they would want to work remotely post-COVID. And with many workplaces and offices reopening in the coming months, employers will have to grapple with the changing desires and needs of their workforce, which come with new risk.

Our panelists, Megan Coen, VP and Executive HR Consultant, Ivoree Reinaldo, CRM, CIC, CISR, Principal, Scott Rhymes, ARM, CIH, CSP, REHS, VP, Risk Control Services, Occupational Health & Safety, and moderator, Chana Anderson,​ CCP, PHRca, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, SVP, Client Experience & Operations, discussed everything employers will need to know about this transition to a hybrid or fully remote workforce, from payroll tax implications to workers’ compensation requirements and leave laws.

Here are some of the key takeaways from their conversation:

• Risks of missing something important regarding compliance increase exponentially as you become a multi-state employer.
• Not all roles and not all individuals are suited for work from home.
• Payroll vendors have the ability to help with reporting.
• Coach your managers to assess whether the work from home situation is successful and pivot as needed.
• Leverage your vendors – your broker, your insurance carriers (through your broker), your payroll company, your attorney to help understand and navigate requirements.
• Working hunched over a coffee table is a “horrific” ergonomic position! Leverage your broker and your insurance carrier to set standards and help with training and assessments (checklist)
• Many states provide free training to meet the mandatory sexual harassment obligations.
• Cyber is an evolving and urgent risk that needs to be addressed – have conversations with your internal IT team and your broker.
• There is a significant amount of training required to ensure that you are compliant and mitigating your risk; mandatory sexual harassment, cyber training, home safety and ergonomics training, training on new processes and ways of working, and so much more.

To watch the webinar replay in its entirety, click here. Our Remote Work Safety Checklist can be found here.