Home Sweet Office: Tips & Cautions for Working Remotely

My column is late this week. That’s because I am—like you—still trying to get used to this new normal. Even though I’ve worked from home before, it’s challenging to manage my practice and my writing in the middle of the new coronavirus. There are practical—as well as legal—considerations when working from home even for seasoned vets. Here are a few tips and cautions for making the best of working remotely.

Communication Is Key

Just because you’re not able to pop down the hallway to visit a colleague or set up an in-person meeting with your best client doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t stay in contact. In fact, it’s more important than ever.

Video chat applications, including Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangout, allow you to meet face-to-face virtually: it’s as close to meeting in person as you can get. And when you don’t feel like showing off your not-going-into-the-office hair, you can send relevant information via email (since email is easily searchable, it’s a great way to memorialize essential points).

Project management apps like Slack allow you to bring the whole team together via instant messaging—but all in the same place for easy reference. And nothing says you can’t rely on old technology: a phone call is still a great way to stay in touch.

Keep Information Secure

Working from home can mean that you don’t have access to your regular network or office VPN, a virtual private network.

While you can’t be expected to introduce Pentagon-level security at your home, working from home isn’t an excuse to take security risks.

You should still exercise care when sending or receiving client data via email or other electronic means. If you’re working in the cloud, ensure that your provider is encrypted and secure—and use a password that will keep your data safe.

Privacy Concerns

Privacy concerns extend to videos and apps. Recently, lawyers and privacy gurus have raised concerns about how secure some apps might be. Specifically, Zoom was called out when a report alerted users that under its privacy policy, Zoom could collect user information, including user content, and analyze it for targeted advertising or other marketing. The policy has since changed.

The privacy holes and potential for abuse are so alarming that Zoom has put a feature freeze in place for the next 90 days while it addresses some of the privacy issues. More hiccups are likely to come with the explosion of group chats: no matter the issues, the rules for privacy and client confidentiality still apply.

If you are working for a company, be sure that you understand what rules apply to work on a home computer. Depending on the employer and the laws in your state, files and internet usage may be subject to monitoring or inspection.

Keep Track of Time

Employers may relax some rules when it comes to timekeeping while working from home, but don’t forget to track your time.

Salaried employees have some leeway, but companies may be responsible for paying overtime for hourly employees, including those working from home. State laws may also require regular work breaks—check with your employer or HR person if you’re not sure what you should be reporting.

If your employer hasn’t communicated how best to track your time, use the method that works best for you—even if that’s a spreadsheet on your computer or jotting down your hours on a calendar.

If you’re billing clients for your time, it’s even more critical to track your time. Some companies use project management and billing software to report your time, but in a pinch, you can keep track of hours on a legal pad or in a notes app on your phone.

Accessing Information

Many states now have stay-at-home or other orders in place that limit access to offices to gather mail and check messages. And tax professionals may be one of the last groups to still use fax machines due to specific IRS requirements.

You can take steps to make your life easier by using technology to access those records. But if you need to receive deliveries or faxes at your home, it may be necessary to temporarily set up, or forward, online mail or fax services.

If you’re not the boss, be sure to check with your employer as they may have made other arrangements or may not want sensitive information being delivered to your home.

Provide Contact Information

Make sure that your employer has your most recent home address and contact information. You may want key employees and coworkers to have access to your cell and personal email, as well, but use caution: the more you share, the more likely folks are to use it.

If you have alternative contact information for clients, share it as needed. At our firm, we’ve attached updated contact information to email signatures with a note of explanation: “We are working remotely! During the coronavirus crisis, our physical offices are closed. We are regularly checking email and voicemail, and we appreciate your patience.”

Again, use caution when handing out your personal information, like your home number or cell number. Not only is there a potential for abuse, but company policy may also prohibit the use of personal phones or email servers for privacy and confidentiality reasons.

We’re all still learning. Even those of us who have worked remotely for years recognize that these are extraordinary times. Use patience and check with your employer and professional organizations, like bar and trade associations, for additional guidance.

This is a weekly column from Kelly Phillips Erb, the TaxGirl. Erb offers commentary on the latest in tax news, tax law, and tax policy. Look for Erb’s column every week from Bloomberg Tax and follow her on Twitter at @taxgirl.