IN THE PROFESSION
Blurred Lines: Legal Risks for Employers in the“ Always-On” Economy
DAVID S. FRIED Fried Bonder White, LLC dfried @ friedbonder. com
JOSEPH A. WHITE Fried Bonder White, LLC Jwhite @ friedbonder. com
Aviral social media post recently asked,“ If I answer one more email at 10:30 p. m., does that count as overtime or just poor life choices?” The comments section quickly morphed into a therapy session with employees lamenting late-night Slack pings, managers who confuse“ remote” with
“ always available,” and phones that light up at the exact moment employees are tucking kids into bed. Humor aside, it captured a serious truth: the increasingly blurred lines between work time and personal time are a source of discontent for many employees and a legal risk for employers, including law firms.
10 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2025