Bill would require reimbursement for some of remote workers’ expenses
On social media, Connecticut residents had mixed reactions to proposed legislation that would require employers to reimburse workers for at-home work expenses.
“I would think that there are way too many variables that any bill would address this fairly,” said Greg St. Martin. “It makes sense that additional expenses directly attributable to one’s work would be reimbursed by the employer, but other things not so direct would be iffy for me, electricity being one of them.”
Robin Lee said she doesn’t agree with passing this co st to the employer.
“If you were lucky enough to work from home during COVID, then lots of personal expenses went down — gas, mileage, car service costs, clothing, lunch money, extra time needed to drive to/from the office, etc,” Lee said. “I would rather pay for my office supplies than go into the office during the pandemic.”
House Bill 6536 was raised out of the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Labor and Public Employees on Tuesday. The legislation now goes to the state’s House of Representatives for review.
The proposed legislation, which was sponsored by state Rep. Dorinda Borer, D-West Haven and Rep. Phil Young of Stratford, would require employers who have employees working from home to reimburse what are termed as “necessary expenditures.”
Items to reimburse as defined in the legislation include computers, printers and cellular phones; internet services; and employment-related supplies, such as paper and printer ink and toner.
Eric Gjede, vice president of government affairs for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, said Tuesday that his organization “is not completely opposed” to some of what the legislation is trying to do.
“It’s really worth the conversation of what to do when employees exceed data caps on their internet service because they are working from home for when employees exceed data caps,” Gjede said. “But 6536 goes well beyond that. There are a lot of questions out there regarding how this would be enforced.”
The legislation requires the Connecticut
Department of Labor to investigate any dispute that might arise between employees and employers if the legislation were passed, according to Kurt Westby, the state’s Labor Commissioner.
“Due to the number of potential complaints from the 1.8 million employees of the 150,000-plus employers ... there will likely be a significant fiscal impact to the Department,” Westby said during a public hearing held earlier this month.
If an employer is found not to have reimbursed an employee for items or services covered under the proposed legislation, the company could be fined up to $1,000 per violation. Employers could appeal a Dept. of Labor ruling to Connecticut Superior Court, according to the proposed legislation.
Also opposing the bill are Torringtonbased Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce and the Connecticut Water Works Association, which represents the state’s municipal, private and regional water companies.
Several labor unions from around the state and the Connecticut Working Families party are supporting the bill.
Carlos Moreno, state director of the Working Families Party, said the “COVID-19 pandemic has forced unnecessary expenses for thousands of people who have been working from home” in Connecticut.
“Usage rates have gone up for heating and electricity as faster internet connections and increases in bandwidth have become necessary to keep up with demands for employee productivity in a remote working environment,” Moreno said in testimony given during the public hearing on the bill. “Many folks have had to purchase new computer equipment, printers, software and/or modems in order to fulfill their job responsibilities. Nearly one in three workers have had to purchase equipment to help with remote work, according to a national survey.”
Moreno said that under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, employers must reimburse employees for expenses if the costs result in the employee’s hourly wage rate dropping below minimum wage.
“HB6536 is about simple fairness for dedicated employees who have kept businesses operating during the pandemic” Moreno said.
Sal Luciano, president of Connecticut AFL-CIO, said workers have been hurt by the Trump administration’s decision to remove a federal tax deduction for employees who work from home.
“In some states, including California, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Montana and New Hampshire, employers are required to reimburse employees for necessary job expenses,” Luciano said. “Executives likely have company credit cards and expense accounts to pay for these added costs, while the majority of employees must pay for work-related expenses with their own money before they can request a reimbursement. Currently, there is no legal requirement that employers provide those reimbursements.”