Remote Work Yes, Remote Investigations and Depositions No

Responses to a Seyfarth survey about employee and workplace trends reveal that workers are slowly being brought back in-house, but remote working, zoom meeting and video worksites are likely to be the new normal. Companies had to make significant management adjustments, many of which entailed investments in IT hardware, software, security, and training for remote workers. Nearly half of respondents are now handling internal complaints and disputes via video, but eight out of ten found the quality of the technology to be less than adequate. Employers and employees need greater fluency and comfort with these technologies, especially when it comes to legal proceedings where in-person depositions and investigations are not possible. The employment discrimination wave that many predicted has not hit yet. Federal case filings are down, with only 200 COVID cases filed. Research shows 700 COVID cases filed in federal and state court, but most of them are preempted by workers’ comp or OSHA.