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OSHA pulls home office rule
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January 5, 2000: 6:09 p.m. ET
Labor Dept. withdraws policy on employer responsibility for home office safety
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Under pressure from business groups and congressional Republicans, the Labor Department on Wednesday withdrew an advisory mandating that companies create safe offices for stay-at-home workers.
The policy, which would have made companies responsible for the safety of their employees’ home offices, was spelled out in a letter, dated Nov. 15. The letter was a response to questions posed by a Texas-based credit-services company, which was planning to have some of its sales executives work at home.
Labor Secretary Alexis Herman said the letter was meant to give some guidance to one particular business and was not meant to be a declaration applicable to all businesses.
"While this employer has received the guidance he needs, the letter has caused widespread confusion and unintended consequences for others,” Herman said in a prepared statement. "Therefore OSHA is withdrawing the letter today.”
The letter stated that home offices must comply with federal safety standards, including federal ergonomics regulations and federal heating and cooling standards. It also said that, while the Labor Department did not plan to begin inspecting home offices, companies should consider doing so.
The letter caused a furor Tuesday among business groups that -- believing the policy applied to all 20 million home workers in the U.S. -- feared the policy would force some companies to bring their telecommuters back to the office. They said that those companies that continued to allow stay-at-home workers would have to upgrade office equipment and try to enforce federal standards such as no-smoking rules.
It also drew the ire of several Capitol Hill Republicans, several of whom responded that the advisory represented a step backward.
"The recent OSHA advisory would have a chilling effect on telework or telecommuting. The advisory is a low-technology interpretation in a rapidly expanding high-technology society. The advisory ignores the reality of the modern day workplace,” said Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), chairman of the House transportation appropriations subcommittee.
Herman’s retraction, however, failed to alleviate the concerns of at least one business group. Pat Cleary of the National Association of Manufacturers said the withdrawal did not mean a thing because it still left too many questions unanswered.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, on the other hand, applauded the move. "It’s a rare, but welcome, event when government regulators realize they have overstepped the bounds of reason,” said Bruce Josten, executive vice president of the U.S. chamber.
A White House official called the decision a "smart move.”
For her part, Secretary Herman said the controversy raised important questions about the safety of home offices and that she will call a conference on the subject. 
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