Can an employer force employees to have internet access at home so they are accessible 24/7?
An obnixous supervisor at my company is demanding employees have internet access at their homes so they can tap into our network and be accessible to our supervisor at her beckon call. The company is not willing to pay the monthly internet fee and some of employees are extremely underpaid. Is it fair for an employer to expect an employee to take on additional personal expenses for the benefit of the company?
4 Responses
Deeda
31 Jul 2010
wizjp
31 Jul 2010
Fair? Probably not and in some states it might be a violation of "on call" employee rules.
But in the real world, most people have internet access, and as employment is at will in the US, I can’t imagine many people want to make much of an issue out of it.
What are you supposed to do if you don’t own a computer?
Something here just doesn’t sound right.
Bibigirl
31 Jul 2010
That’s ridiculous but if you are a salaried employee they can expect you to be "on call" 24/7. Tell her your answering service is on on your phone.
Chimera
31 Jul 2010
If your contract or whatever document which has a job description specifically states working hours, for example 9-5, 5 days a week, then no. By all means, your company legally cannot undertake such action as your time outside of the working hours is yours to spend how you see fit, and that includes remaining unaccessible if you see fit. That is the only case in which you can not only refuse to do as they say, but take legal action against them.
Otherwise, it would highly depend; if the job description or a signed contract includes clauses on being accessible, then yes they have the right to. Typically, whether or not they are obliged to pay for your means of accessibility depends on the statements in the contract– very much like how some jobs require that you own a car and a driver’s license for a certain state, and obviously they will not be buying you a car or helping you with the license.
If there is no paper contract, make sure that you voice your opinion regarding the fact that your time outside of work hours can be spent as you see fit.
The fact that employees are underpaid is generally a company policy thing– some companies pay better than others, and that does not hold them legally liable. And in my opinion, access to internet is so commonplace nowadays that they are not asking for anything perposterious, it’s something most people are simply assumed to have, and they are not obliged to pay for it simply because the use of your internet access would be 1% accessibility to your company’s network, and 99% personal. So covering for your internet access and being underpaid are not exactly a tangile issue, as much as whether they legally have the right to make you do anything work-related outside of working hours, whether that entails overtime and whatnot.
Legally they cannot expect you to put out your own money for anything in connection with business, which would mean that if they want you to have access at home they are responsible for providing it.