Home Front: Workers' Worries Put Safety Regulations to New Tests

Editor's Note: This is the second installment in TheStreet.com's Home Front series, a collection of twice-weekly features that examines how American business, society and investing have changed in the post-Sept. 11 landscape.

Sept. 11's extraordinary terrorist attacks are testing U.S. labor laws in unprecedented ways.

An increasing number of workers are afraid of doing the simple tasks required to get jobs done. In a world threatened by terrorist acts, riding subways, opening mail or reporting to work in landmark buildings can be dangerous. Some workers are refusing to do these things. Others are asking their employers to provide alternatives, such as telecommuting. Employees with legitimate concerns for their safety are making new demands on their employers.

Some of the demands, however, are affecting companies' bottom lines. Firms concentrating on making their workers feel safe may forgo efforts to increase productivity and profits. At some point, efforts to make scared workers feel secure become detrimental to a company's survival. ...