Legal and Contractual Perspectives of Managing the Remote/Virtual Employee

This webinar training discusses the legal and contractual perspectives of managing the remote/virtual employee. It will highlight the opportunities and challenges that the virtual workplace offers. The current competitive business environment and the changing nature of work and the workforce requires effective leadership that spans the boundaries of time and space to help employees to work together – apart. Participants will understand the dynamic interaction between technological systems and human systems that the virtual leader has to address and how to implement prevention strategies to minimize liability by designing and developing virtual policies.

This training will help participants understand how to manage virtual teams/workforce vs. on-site team effectively to balance growth and cost, while addressing the legal and operational challenges.

• To identify the remote/virtual worker
• To list recommended elements of a virtual team contract
• To explore steps to avoid discrimination claims
• To describe wage and hour obligations
• To discuss ergonomics, health risks, and virtual workplace injuries
• To define essential competencies of leadership in virtual environment
• To list 4 essentials for virtual teamwork
• To identify best characteristics of virtual team/employee
• To discuss tools & techniques to facilitate “working together apart” in virtual environment
• To identify the tips for effective virtual meetings
• To discuss importance of virtual contracts
• To determine the best data security

More and more organizations are “going virtual,” whether it is an employee who telecommutes, a team of workers in another country, or simply an employee who connects from a virtual workplace.

Approximately 80% of U. S. workers continue to do business remotely after normal work hours. More and more organizations are incorporating telecommuting and other forms of virtual work into their workforce with great success and reduction in costs.

The virtual workplace is a reality that is expanding and influencing how organizations do their work. The new virtual work environment offers exciting opportunities as well as challenges to avoid liability.

Managing remote or virtual workers requires a management mindset change that differs from managing on-site workers. Examining, planning, and implementing legal and contractual issues are not always considered in the same way when managing on-site workers.

• Team leaders
• Supervisors
• Middle managers
• Administrators
• Directors
• Senior leaders
• Human resources professionals
• HR generalists
• HR managers
• Risk Managers
• Attorneys
• Any manager of a telecommuter or virtual employee/team

Dr. Susan Strauss is a national and international speaker, trainer and consultant. Her specialty areas include management/leadership development, organization development, communication, and harassment and bullying. She is an expert witness for discrimination and harassment lawsuits. She trains and consults with business, education, healthcare, law, and government organizations from both the public and private sector. Dr. Strauss has authored over 30 book chapters, books, and articles in professional journals. She has been featured on 20/20, CBS Evening News, and other television and radio programs as well as interviewed for newspaper and journal articles. She has her doctorate in organizational leadership, is a registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and human services, a master’s degree in community health, and professional certificate in training and development.