DOL’s Wage and Hour Division provides work-from-home guidance

On August 24, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) published guidance addressing employer obligations to track employee hours while teleworking. Even though the guidance is being issued in part because of the increase in teleworking arrangements during the COVID-19 crisis, the agency emphasized it applies to all telework or remote work arrangements, not just those caused by the pandemic.

Legal standard

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers must pay an employee for all “hours worked.” The hours include any time she spent that was “suffered or permitted” by the employer, even if it wasn’t requested or authorized. The law expects employers to “make every effort” to exercise control over the workplace and prevent employees from performing any unwanted work.

In a nutshell, if you know or have reason to believe work is being performed, the time is “hours worked.” You must pay for all hours worked, even if you had a rule against performing the work in the first place.

WHD guidance

The WHD’s guidance underscores and notes “employers must pay for all hours worked that [they] know or [have] reason to believe was performed.” If you’re aware of hours worked, whether through a time system or other means, you’re responsible for paying the employee even if the hours were unauthorized.