Telecommuter Cautions Include Security, Privacy

In addition to evaluating the performance of employees who work from home, companies need to take measures to prevent the loss of proprietary data and guard against invading the privacy of its telecommuters, says Larry Walraven, labor and employment law attorney, O'Melveny & Myers LLP. For example, employees need to understand not to discuss confidential information on mobile phones because such conversations easily can be intercepted. Secondly, they need to establish security measures to prevent an unauthorized individual from downloading confidential information in the event a laptop is stolen. Just as important, an employer must remember that it does not have the right to monitor a telecommuter's e-mail or Internet use if that individual uses his own laptop or home computer.