An Overview of Expense Reimbursement for Coronavirus Home Workers

The ongoing coronavirus has changed a lot about our lives, bringing with it mass layoffs, furloughs, school closures, isolation, and more. Many people who have retained their jobs are now working from home for the first time because of state and federal coronavirus mandates.

Working from home is difficult enough. During the pandemic, when many people have their kids at home, family members at risk of getting sick, and the world outside seems to be changing faster than ever, the last thing we need to worry about is additional work-from-home expenses.

Fortunately, in states like California, workers may be able to be reimbursed for any work expenses incurred while working from home.

What Is Expense Reimbursement?

Essentially, expense reimbursement is a method by which employers pay their employees back after they spend their own money for work-related purposes, according to The Balance Careers. This kind of expense reimbursement is most often associated with business travel, such as flights, car rentals, hotel stays, and meals. However, in this new era of mass coronavirus-related working from home, a company’s expense reimbursement policy may be able to provide you compensation for what you’re paying out of pocket.

An increasingly common approach to expense reimbursement is entrusting employees with corporate credit cards, but other approaches include per diem allowances or expense reports filled out by the employee.

The key facets of an expense reimbursement policy are as follows:

• The expenses have a business connection
• The employee has substantiated their business expenses with evidence
• The employee returns any excess amounts

Does Your Work Have an Expense Reimbursement Policy?

More and more states are requiring employers to offer their employees expense reimbursement for necessary work expenses. Under Section 2802 of the California Labor Code, employers in California are required to reimburse the “reasonable and ‘necessary’ expenses they incur in direct consequences of discharging their job duties.”

This includes mandatory remote-work expenses. Traditionally, remote-work expenses have not been mandated as reimbursable under California law — because before now, telecommuting has generally not been mandatory, and company supplies and equipment were available if employees wanted to use them.

But now, in order to actually get work done, many people have had to purchase their own home office supplies.

What Items Should You Be Reimbursed For?

California workers who are required to work from home should be able to expect the reimbursement of expenses necessary for their work, including a portion of:

• Cellphone or landline plans
• Home internet plans
• Personal computer or tablet (used for work)
• Fax machines
• Teleconferencing software or hardware
• Electronic supplies
• Furniture
• Utilities
• More

An employer may even be required to reimburse employees for something that incurred no additional expense, such as a personal cellphone bill they were already planning to pay, if they also had to use it for work reasons.

For instance, you may already own a laptop, using it for things like video games, video chatting with family members, and more. But if you are required to use a laptop for work and a laptop is not provided by the company, your employer may be legally obligated to compensate you for the use of your personal property.

What Should You Do If Your Employer Won’t Cover Your Work Expenses?

If your California employer is refusing to reimburse certain expenses that are necessary while you are required to work from home during the pandemic, this may be in violation of California labor laws, and you may be able to file a lawsuit.

Some employees have turned to litigation after their employers failed to properly reimburse them for the required use of their personal property for work reasons.

Should You File a Coronavirus Home Expenses Lawsuit?

If you’ve been working from home because of coronavirus mandates, but your company is not providing you with expense reimbursement for your work expenses, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, especially when dealing with your own employer. Firstly, there are anti-retaliation laws in play intended to keep workers safe in these situations.

Moreover, Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

Join a Free California Expense Reimbursement Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you are working from home as a result of coronavirus mandate and it is resulting in excessive hours or unreimbursed expenses, you may be eligible to join this California coronavirus home office expenses class action lawsuit investigation.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.