Hartford Business Journal

11 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 9, 2021 Last Modified Art Director 1" = 1" CT Commercial Lending Print Layout None Project Bleed Project # Document Name 21-LBB-0045_FY21_CL_HBJ_10x6.75_M1_V1.indd 21-LBB-0045 Version # M1_V1 BB NB Colors In-Use Fonts and Linked Graphics Forma DJR Deck Regular DIN Condensed Light Cyan Magenta User Printer Output Date 7-15-2021 7:57 AM Becky Bowman None 7-15-2021 7:57 AM Mech Scale M1_V1 For nearly 200 years, Liberty Bank has been behind companies that think big. We provide commercial loans, mortgages, and working capital lines of credit that can be tailored to meet your business's current needs and those in the future. Loans for $1,000,000 and up. Scan the QR code to call a Commercial Lending Officer today or visit liberty-bank.com/ct-commercial-lending to find a local lender. Loans, lines of credit, owner-occupied and investment mortgages up to $50 million. All loans are subject to credit and underwriting approval. Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender Seven-figure business loans for million-dollar ideas. Liberty Bank was part of a multi-bank fi nancing deal behind Goodwin University's acquisition of the University of Bridgeport in May 2021. CP26054_21-LBB-0045_FY21_CL_HBJ_10x6.75_M1_V1.indd 1 CP26054_21-LBB-0045_FY21_CL_HBJ_10x6.75_M1_V1.indd 1 7/16/21 5:06 PM 7/16/21 5:06 PM work-from-anywhere setup. He's already seen some workers' compensation claims from employees who hurt themselves while working from home — locations that might not comply with standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Meanwhile, Connecticut employers that monitor remote workers electronically could violate state law. "When people are working from home, businesses tend to want to check up on them … and that's not legal unless you give employees advanced notice that you're going to do it," McHale said. But the largest pool of employment lawsuits will likely come from workers suing their bosses for discrimination, because they allow some workers to preform their jobs remotely while requiring others to be in the office. Employers might be able to preemptively protect themselves from these issues by writing and distributing to workers specific safety guidelines for home offices, and detailing electronic monitoring policies, McHale said. Employers should also have specific reasons why certain jobs must be performed in the office and others remotely, McHale said. But it might be difficult in court for an employer to argue work-from-home isn't a reasonable accommodation for an employee who asks for it, since that worker likely spent the past 18 months doing their job remotely amid the pandemic. "Employers are going to be in a difficult position in explaining why someone needs to [physically] come to work," McHale said. At Stanley, Subasic, the chief human resources officer, said he thinks the company has thought through a lot of these issues, and has adjusted practices on things like maintaining communication among teams, and onboarding new employees. Stanley employees often use Workplace from Facebook to maintain consistent communication and a sense of community, Subasic said. Meanwhile, at the New Britain headquarters and in locations across the world, the company is updating technology so that remote workers can interact with office employees on a day-to-day basis. Some issues may emerge, but upsides abound. "A big focus for us in the testing of the new technology is we have to have an outcome that is a superior experience for our employees," Subasic said. "[And] expanding our access to geographies and locations that were previously out of reach means we have a much broader access to some of the top talent in the country and in the world." Stephen Subasic 13.9% 17.8% 6.9% 20.8% 24.8% 5% 8.9% 2% No remote work 2-3 days per month 1 day per week 1 day per month 5 days per week 4 days per week 3 days per week 2 days per week HBJ readers desire flexible work environment A recent HBJ/PwC poll asked Hartford Business Journal readers how often they want to work remotely after COVID-19 is no longer a concern. Here's how the 399 respondents voted: Stanley Black & Decker is reconfiguring its office space to make it more collaborative. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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