Vol. 4, No. 2: January 31, 2000

California is leading us into a new century of government encroachment in which women, in particular, will be affected.

"The little home office that an employee sets up with his employer’s blessing is an extension of office headquarters." That is the view of Dan Shipley of CAL-OSHA, the state branch of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

This announcement comes on the heels of a similar, federal OSHA ruling that provoked public outrage and was quickly rescinded. In the widely publicized advisory, OSHA ruled that companies are responsible for ensuring that home offices are free from "reasonably foreseeable hazards" and meet an array of safety requirements, including proper electrical equipment and ventilation systems. The CAL-OSHA memorandum states that similar requirements are already in effect in the state.

Nearly 10 million women nationwide work at home because it provides them flexibility in their workday, allows them to spend more time with their families, and gives them more options in their careers. Telecommuting also relieves the financial burdens of childcare. But the federal and state OSHA rulings could destroy job options for many women.

Bobbie Kilberg, president of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, spoke out recently about how OSHA’s proposed regulations would affect her company. Of the 16 individuals on her staff, 25 percent of them telecommute. These employees are all working mothers. Tia Gibbs, who oversees the department that these women work for, said, "if OSHA’s action stands, I will not be able to permit any of these women to work at home." Women business owners will also feel the brunt of such rules.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that of the 8.5 million women-owned businesses, 60 percent were operated in the home when they were first established. And many other companies have chosen to offer telecommuting as a way to attract prospective employees and to reduce the cost of office space. OSHA’s proposed regulations would not only quash competition but make it difficult to compete against larger, more established companies. One must wonder whether there are any benefits to these proposed regulations.

How would OSHA respond, for example, to an employee who works on a laptop in her bedroom before going to sleep? Would OSHA inspectors write up citations for inadequate fire emergency exits and putting too many plugs in an outlet? If that seems laughable, so do the recent statements by OSHA and CAL-OSHA. But ultimately, it’s no joke.

Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman has called for a "national dialogue" to determine what rules and policies should be implemented for people who choose to work at home. Women should respond in no uncertain terms.

Technology has been a liberating force for women by allowing them to work at home. This makes for more contented and productive workers, stronger families, fewer cars on the highways, and less pollution. It’s a win-win situation that only a power-hungry government bureaucracy could see as a threat.

Women should make it clear that they are entirely capable of working at home in complete safety without supervision by OSHA or any other government agency. To force government into our homes turns back the clock to the day of runaway regulation and stifles opportunity before it has a chance to knock.

—Laura Steadman