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It's official. Following strong complaints from small businesses and their advocates, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration has
reversed a November decision that would have put employers on the hot seat for safety problems of staffers who work at home.
The new directive, issued Feb. 25, says OSHA will not inspect employees' home offices, nor will it require employers to inspect home
offices. Also, employers will not be liable for home offices. The directive says, however, that the agency will inspect home offices following
complaints indicating imminent physical danger or harm, such as might occur in home-based manufacturing concerns. In such cases, OSHA would
limit the inspection to the actual work site. Some 21 million people work from home, says the Labor Dept.
The November advisory provoked outcries from members of the small-business community, which feared that OSHA planned to visit homes and
inspect home offices, implying new liabilities for employers. "OSHA respects the privacy of the home and has never conducted inspections of
home offices," the directive says. But hey, just because the feds won't be visiting, would it kill you to pick up those dirty socks under the
desk once in a while?
By
Jeremy Quittner
in New York
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