Creating a Policy for Your Company's Remote Workforce?

 A remote work policy is a written document that spells out the terms of the agreement between employers and employees regarding when and how they can work remotely.

Even though COVID-19 may have made remote work mandatory for a brief period of time (two years and counting), many businesses are choosing to offer it going forward for benefits including improved employee retention, better access to a diversified talent pool, and higher productivity.

However, since they differ from employee management procedures used in offices, it's crucial for businesses to clearly outline their remote employee management procedures. When establishing a remote labor policy, numerous essential components must be clarified.

Let's go through the key inquiries you must make here so that you can always be one step ahead.

Who is qualified to work remotely?

You've probably heard of companies like GitLab and Automattic, the creators of WordPress, that operate entirely remotely, with no physical offices and all workers working from home or wherever they choose.

On paper, it looks fantastic, but not all businesses will want to—and in fact, many won't be able to—select a wholly remote approach. Because it prioritizes choice over remote work and gives employees the freedom to decide where they want to put in their hours, the hybrid model is also the most widely used.

However, while drafting your policy for the remote workforce, you must first take into account who and how often can work remotely. Define whether it is up to the employee to choose their balance between home and work, or if they should seek manager approval. Keep in mind that these requirements will determine your remote work paradigm, therefore accuracy is crucial.

Don't forget to consider how working remotely will affect pay and benefits, such as whether you have a location-based pay scale or if your staff members are currently eligible for an office-based travel allowance.

What kinds of availability do you anticipate from remote workers?

Create a list of your requirements for your remote employees next. Do you want them to be available particularly between 9am and 5pm, or are they flexible regarding their work schedules within a given window? Similar to a service level agreement, some businesses establish responsiveness guidelines, such as the requirement that emails be responded to within two to four hours.

Since different time zones must be taken into account when thinking about distributed teams, you might wish to be broad and use phrases like "as promptly as possible" or "2-4 hours throughout your local working day."

What technological aids and tools do you provide for home workers?

Your staff gain from technology and equipment at work, including laptops, company cell phones, chairs, desks, conference room space, software licenses, and maybe a few too many Nespresso pods. Your remote work policy is the place to include any stipulations about equipment and technology that may differ between firms.

Consider the equipment you're willing to pay for as an expense but would prefer employees to buy outright, as well as the technologies you're glad to source. Consider how much you're willing to contribute as a home-working stipend, which can be used to pay for extras like printers and ink cartridges, if applicable. While some decisions, like supplying business laptops, can be made the same way as for office workers, other ones, like who will pay for internet access or a dedicated phone line, may require more discussion.

Technical assistance is also crucial to consider because if a laptop breaks at home, your employee can't just take it to the IT desk. Are you happy to pay for repair and maintenance close to the employees' locations, or do you want them to bring their devices into the office to be fixed?

How will you manage communication and teamwork?

When leading remote teams, maintaining employee engagement is a crucial factor to take into account right on. Remember, you're not just managing people; your aim should be to establish a productive culture.

Why not indicate in your remote work policy which communication technologies are effective, accessible, and recommended for each scenario? Slack, for instance, is an excellent tool for daily team communication. You may also require a weekly 1:1 meeting via Zoom with the employee's management. This maintains open channels of communication and promotes frequent interactions to strengthen bonds.

Great for the company and its employees, a remote working strategy

Given that it has become a need from qualified and competent people, carefully considering how you want to formulate and express your remote working policy is a wise decision.

It may increase your company's compliance risk and have a negative cultural impact to permit workers to work from home occasionally or to hire one or two people in a different location without outlining your remote policy.