{"id":49868,"date":"2021-04-26T11:23:24","date_gmt":"2021-04-26T15:23:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=49868"},"modified":"2023-06-08T06:13:59","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T10:13:59","slug":"employer-investment-in-wfh-offices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/employer-investment-in-wfh-offices\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Employers Invest in Home Office Expenses While Employees Work Remotely?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the pandemic turned lives upside down, we\u2019re discovering Work From Home (WFH) has distinct advantages and disadvantages. There\u2019s no commute (yay!), but sometimes we can\u2019t find a reason to shower, not to mention the soul sapping social isolation if you don\u2019t share space with a roommate or partner.<\/p>\n

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One of the biggest questions many have is who covers WFH employees\u2019 expenses? The quick answer is: it depends. While some employers in the past reimbursed employees for traditional office supplies, businesses today are navigating new waters with WFH expenses. And only ten states \u2014 California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania \u2014 enacted laws requiring employers to reimburse WFH employees<\/a> for certain work-related expenses.<\/p>\n

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Federal requirements don\u2019t mandate an employer must reimburse employees for work-related expenses while they\u2019re working remotely. There are some caveats that deal with an employee\u2019s pay scale (their expenses cannot cause them to drop below the federal minimum wage for hourly employees or below the weekly pay threshold for salaried employees). Another federal protection is the Americans With Disabilities Act. Beyond these, however, the grey area is massive.<\/p>\n

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\"An<\/p>\n

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Some WFH statistics that might surprise you<\/h2>\n

In a recent survey by Owl Labs<\/a>, only 20 to 25 percent of companies are paying for or reimbursing their employees for home office equipment and furnishings. The survey also found that people save on average around $500 per month, or close to $6,000 a year, working from home. Still, the WFH craze is solid; 23 percent of those surveyed would take a 10 percent pay cut to work from home permanently.<\/p>\n

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Maybe the compromise is employees cover their own WFH expenses instead of taking a 10 percent pay cut to WFH.<\/p>\n

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Nulab\u2019s State of Remote Workers survey found 56 percent of respondents could not bring office equipment home, and 37 percent were told the employer would not reimburse them for office equipment expenses<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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What do WFH employees think?<\/h2>\n

In the same survey by Owl Labs cited above, 1 in 2 people won\u2019t return to a job that doesn\u2019t offer remote work after the pandemic. But some remote workers who aren\u2019t provided the equipment and resources they need to do their job are finding the initial outlay to set up a home office is expensive. Most employees want companies to cover some of their internet and cell phone bills each month.<\/p>\n

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What do employers think?<\/h2>\n

According to the Society for Human Resource Management<\/a>, business consultancy Aon surveyed 2,004 global HR leaders and found:<\/p>\n

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