The modern workplace has undergone a seismic shift. Once confined to brick-and-mortar offices, work now happens everywhere—kitchen tables, home offices, even coffee shops. This newfound flexibility presents exciting opportunities, but also a unique set of challenges, particularly regarding risk management. I recently sat down with Kaleem Clarkson, Senior Advisor to RampLane, to discuss how businesses can navigate these complexities and ensure the safety and well-being of their remote workforce.
Remote Workplace Management
Clarkson described the platform as a “remote office in a box,” designed to empower productivity and foster engagement regardless of location. This isn’t simply about providing tools; it’s about establishing a framework for compliance and mitigating risks inherent in remote work.
Clarkson emphasized that RampLane has two core functions. The first is providing a checklist to ensure home offices are set up ergonomically. The second is compliance, collecting information on employees’ designated workspaces. Clarkson stressed that RampLane has researchers who examine various pieces of furniture and equipment, and also has a certified ergonomist on staff. This ergonomist looks at all these different things. Each employee goes through a self-checklist as they’re being onboarded. This checklist ensures they have the proper lighting, chair, and monitor. These checklists are customizable, so each company can emphasize what parts of their home office they want their employees to focus on.
This emphasis on ergonomics isn’t merely about comfort; it’s about preventing injuries and potential legal liabilities. As Clarkson explained, “If you were to trip and fall while you’re working at home, your company can be liable for that injury.” This is a stark reality many businesses overlook. RampLane addresses this by prompting employees to document their workspaces, creating a record that can be invaluable in mitigating legal risks. This documentation, coupled with a company handbook outlining designated workspace requirements, creates a robust defense against potential liability.
Employee Experience
I asked Clarkson about the employee experience with RampLane. He highlighted the platform’s simplicity and accessibility. “It’s all web-based,” he explained, “it’s responsive, it can work on your phone.” Employees receive an email with a link, click it, and are immediately within the RampLane environment. They then proceed through a straightforward checklist, with a visual gauge indicating their progress toward compliance. Clarkson estimates the entire process takes less than five minutes. After the self-check, employees take two pictures of their workspace – one zoomed in on their setup, and one zoomed out to see the broader workspace.
But what happens if an employee doesn’t meet the 85% compliance threshold? Clarkson explained this is where customization becomes crucial. In one organization Clarkson worked with as a consultant, leadership decided that if an employee doesn’t reach the 85% compliance level within RampLane, it’s the manager’s responsibility to follow up. The goal is to have 100% of employees at 85% compliance or above.
Managers have access to see how many of their employees have completed the process, and take next steps based on this visibility. Within the platform, there are product recommendations employees can purchase based on what they’ve gone through in the checklist. RampLane has done the research and has direct links so employees can purchase the products – no more going back and forth with HR about what’s affordable, recommended or approved. This feature set is an employee benefit because they can make purchases, and they can share these links with friends and family. It also provides access to discounts RampLane has secured with suppliers.
From an organizational perspective, Clarkson shared that his client designated HR as the owner of RampLane, integrating it into the onboarding process and making it part of their handbook. He acknowledged that other departments, such as facilities, could also manage the platform depending on the organization’s structure and priorities.
Mitigating Risk and Ensuring Legal Compliance
The conversation then shifted to the crucial aspect of risk management. I asked Clarkson specifically about RampLane’s ability to protect against risks like tripping hazards, referencing recent lawsuits related to work-from-home accidents. Clarkson agreed that risk management was a primary driver for his involvement with RampLane. He noted the increasing legal complexities surrounding remote work, emphasizing that laws are constantly changing.
While he stressed that RampLane doesn’t guarantee complete risk reduction, he cited conversations with attorneys who confirmed that the self-check process and workspace photos, combined with a designated workspace policy in the employee handbook, provide a significant layer of protection. This documentation creates a tangible record of the employee’s workspace, which can be crucial in legal proceedings.
I inquired about the process of reviewing the photos. Clarkson explained that, in the current version, the photos are stored alongside the compliance score. He acknowledged that future iterations might include a manager sign-off process to further validate the accuracy of the self-assessment.
Conclusion
Clarkson concluded by emphasizing the simplicity and adaptability of RampLane. He acknowledged the ongoing debate surrounding return-to-office mandates, noting that many companies are embracing hybrid or fully remote models. In this evolving landscape, managing risks associated with remote workspaces becomes paramount, while also trying to deliver a best-in-class WFH experience for employees. RampLane, he believes, offers a valuable solution for both fully remote and hybrid companies, providing a standardized approach to ensuring employee safety and mitigating potential liabilities. This tool is valuable for any organization looking to navigate the complexities of the modern workplace.
About the Author
Dr. Gleb Tsipursky was named “Office Whisperer” by The New York Times for helping leaders overcome frustrations with hybrid work and Generative AI. He serves as the CEO of the future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. Dr. Gleb wrote seven best-selling books, and his two most recent ones are Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams and ChatGPT for Leaders and Content Creators: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI. His cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 650 articles and 550 interviews in Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine, USA Today, CBS News, Fox News, Time, Business Insider, Fortune, The New York Times, and elsewhere. His writing was translated into Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Korean, French, Vietnamese, German, and other languages. His expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting, coaching, and speaking and training for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox. It also comes from over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist, with 8 years as a lecturer at UNC-Chapel Hill and 7 years as a professor at Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio.
