Should employees work on premises without supervision?

An employer’s policies dictate whether a supervisor needs to be present.

Depending on the demographics of the workforce, the type of work being performed, the duration of the absence of supervision and the experience of the unsupervised employees, employers may find situations where leaving employees unsupervised is acceptable. If an employer decides to allow work to continue without supervisory staff present, a well-thought-out policy will address the type of work that will not be permitted due to safety concerns, identify and minimize personal on-premises security concerns, and ensure that time worked is properly tracked and recorded for nonexempt staff.

From a safety standpoint, some occupations are considered high risk, and employees who work in hazardous areas (e.g., confined space entry, laboratory operations, machine operation) should have co-workers present and preferably be under direct supervision. Even in low-risk occupations, safety concerns can arise when associates work alone.

Regarding security, some worksites may be potential theft targets due to having onsite cash or other valuable assets. Employers should have safeguards established to ensure employees’ personal security. Thus, a proactive employer would need to create on-premises security policies outlining when associates may be permitted to work alone (for example, only during daylight hours); provide an on-call company contact person and information in the event of an emergency; and create a policy that deals with whether co-workers must be present when a supervisor is not onsite.

Though scheduled solo work time is likely easy to monitor (for timekeeping purposes), unscheduled solo work time is more difficult. If an employer chooses to allow nonexempt employees to work off-schedule, it must ensure that employees follow the employer’s timekeeping practices, so that all time worked is recorded and paid correctly for nonexempt staff.

With advances in technology, the need for on-premises after-hours work has lessened, yet no doubt employees still work when supervisory staff is absent. Keeping the work environment safe and secure and ensuring employees are properly paid are primary reasons for supervision. If these concerns, and other industry-specific issues, can be addressed without the onsite presence of a supervisor, employers may allow unsupervised work.