Jurisdiction in ‘Work From Home’ Situations:
- In Mangala A G vs. HIL (India) Limited [Kerala HC WP(C) No. 2342/2021 26.11.2021], the question that has arisen for consideration is, what would be the jurisdiction of court in the case of employee who is working from home. The court stated that the question that now boils down to whether mere permission to work from home is sufficient to confer jurisdiction on the court, within whose jurisdiction the employee was working.
- The Court further stated that, if each person who works from home is permitted to raise their objection from his territorial jurisdiction, definitely, it may confer jurisdiction on umpteen number of Courts and may call upon the employer to face litigation in different jurisdictions.
- However, as the situation changes and telecommuting or work from home becomes a permanent feature, unlike the temporary phase that has arisen at present, wherein, as a part of contract of employment, persons who are freshly recruited are permitted to remain in different stations and work from there, with facilities being provided by the employer or where the employer pro-actively encourage the employee to improve the business there and/or provides facilities, in that jurisdiction, the situation may be different. The employer, in such cases will be free to include appropriate clause relating to jurisdiction in the contract of employment.
- In the above circumstances, the legal position seems to be very clear that, when a person is permitted to work from home merely as a concession or a convenience, place from where the person so work is not sufficient to confer any jurisdiction.