When the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses in the United States to move to Remote work, most businesses didn’t have a remote work policy or procedures in place. Everyone learned how to operate in this new environment almost overnight.

With employees working from home instead of at the office, employees often had to rely on their own equipment and internet instead of using the employer-provided tools they were used to. Many even had to purchase new home office setups, such as desks and chairs.

Soon employees found themselves wondering who should be responsible for the expenses they’d accumulated for remote work. Should employers cover the costs of remote work? Or does that responsibility fall to individual employees?

While the federal government and most states haven’t been able to answer that question, some states have enacted laws or extended existing laws for employee reimbursement to include remote work costs.

This article will break down expense reimbursement laws by state and what counts as a necessary cost. We’ll cover the following topics:

• Are there any federal requirements for remote work reimbursements?
• What is a necessary expense?
• Which states have expense reimbursement laws?
• Do employers need to have an expense reimbursement policy?
• Offering remote work stipends