A leading provider of information on business and employment law to large and small employers helps companies put in place standards to assure that the telecommuter's home office is safe and ergonomically friendly. But few companies seem to be paying attention. The evidence suggests that most companies have failed to address the management issues involved in telecommuting and probably have not taken the steps necessary to provide for the health and safety of telecommuters. A survey of teleworking at U.S. companies, conducted by the American Management Association and issued two days before Labor Secretary Alexis Herman withdrew the advisory on safety in the home workplace, is revealing. A nudge from OSHA may be just what these companies need.
Telecommuting provides benefits for both workers and employers.
It has grown dramatically in the last decade. The risks of injury in a home office may be far lower than in factories, mines, and mills. But telecommuters are as likely as are other office workers to suffer from back injuries, repetitive stress problems, and other workplace hazards. And they are at risk of injury from fire if they lack an adequate electrical system, or if they don't have a smoke detector or fire extinguisher nearby. Since its creation in 1973, OSHA has done much to improve workplace safety and reduce occupational injury and illness rates.