Guide To Remote Employee Reimbursement Rules By State

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced thousands of businesses in the
United States to move to remote work, many didn’t have a remote
work policy or procedures in place. Organizations had to learn to
operate in this new environment almost overnight.

With organizations operating remotely instead of at an office,
employees often had to rely on their own equipment and internet
instead of using the employer-provided tools they were used to. Many
even had to purchase new home office setups, such as desks and
chairs.

Soon employees found themselves wondering who should be
responsible for the expenses they’d accumulated for remote work.
Should employers cover the costs of remote work? Or does that
responsibility fall to individual employees?

While the federal government hasn’t yet addressed these questions,
some states have enacted laws or extended existing laws for employee
reimbursement to include remote work costs.

This guide will break down expense reimbursement laws by state. Topics include:

1. What are the federal requirements for remote work reimbursements?
2. What is a necessary expense?
3. Employee reimbursements by state chart
4. Offering remote work reimbursements