How to create a remote working policy
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Follow these five simple steps to create a remote work policy that protects your business and creates a productive, efficient work environment for everyone. What is your company's remote work policy? Is there in yours Pursue even a separate policy for remote work? With the increase in remote work, companies are changing their expectations, work hours, preferred communication methods, and more. But they also need to set these policies for employees who work in another country or time zone. As you'll learn in this guide, having a separate policy for employees working away from the office is beneficial for both employees and employers.
Why every company needs a remote work policy
Similar to an internal policy for the office, a separate policy for remote workers ensures that everyone involved is on the same page and understands the company's expectations. It creates a standard of fairness whether employees are working in the office or remotely. And it outlines your company's best practices for remote work and policies for all new hires. This creates a professional working environment, even if your employees only work remotely. It also creates a streamlined and efficient process - everyone knows the rules, what they should and shouldn't do, and when their work is due. Let's talk about these topics as you learn how to create a policy for the Remote work can create in your company.
5 steps to create a remote work policy
Follow this simple process and you'll have the first draft of your remote work policy as early as this afternoon:
Step 1: Decide who can work remotely
Remote Meetings - Source: flexjobs.com
Is your company 100% remote (aka remote-first)? Or are you remote control friendly? Do you offer your employees the opportunity to work remotely from time to time? And if so, are all employees entitled to this benefit? The answers to these questions need to be written into your remote work policies to eliminate any gray areas and prevent favoritism or unfair treatment.
So consider what employees in each department are doing to determine whether it makes sense to offer remote work. Can they complete their tasks remotely without any problems? Can the team work together effectively when they are not in-house? You may find that a mix of both - remote and in-house employees - works best.
So consider how your organization is structured and determine which employees are eligible for remote work. Clearly identify these employees or situations to begin your remote work policy.
Step 2: Discuss privacy issues and equipment provided
Data protection and security controls are much easier when employees work internally and on your secure server. Once they start working remotely, they must prove that they are following all of your best practices in the dangerous world of free WiFi and open networks. When a team member shares sensitive information and passwords over a public or shared WiFi, it can jeopardize the security of your entire organization. They could also put you at risk of a major data breach.
That's why it's important that you include this in your policies Remote work Establish rules for privacy and security of information. So set your company policies around WiFi access, online sharing of important documents and passwords, and your preferred security tools so employees know exactly what to do. Another point to include in your policy concerns the equipment that field workers need.
Does your company provide the computer, network facility or desk? And if so, can employees use the computer for private purposes outside of business hours? The answers to these questions must also be included in your remote work policies. If you do not plan to provide a computer or secure Internet access, but expect both from your team members, this must also be included in your policies Remote work be recorded so that there is no confusion.
Step 3: Set the tone for communication
Those: impulse-beratung.com
Communication problems arise when you don't set expectations early.
Answer these questions to set the tone for remote communication in your company:
- What means of communication will you use? How do these differ if it's a quick check-in or a virtual meeting?
- What about project management tools? Is there a central location where everyone can check in and see what's going on at any time?
- How often should someone contact you? Are there weekly meetings? Do employees also have to report outside of working hours, such as on holidays and weekends?
- How quickly does someone need to respond during normal business hours? What are “normal” business hours anyway?
Don't forget: working hours change with different time zones when dealing with employees abroad. So do you expect your team to be available in your company's time zone? Or can they be flexible as long as they overlap some part of your day? Include these points in your remote work policies and your team will have fewer communication issues because everyone knows what is expected of them when it comes to staying in touch.
Step 4: Discuss performance metrics
Key Performance Indicators - Source: netnode.ch
Next, you should set expectations around performance. Do you have a target for the number of customer service requests your team should handle per hour? Or maybe your marketing department needs a certain number of articles or social posts per week. By setting these key performance indicators, external employees are given a goal to achieve in order to orient themselves and stay on track. It also gives you the opportunity to hold them accountable. So think about the output here. What would you expect from an internal employee? Adjust this value if necessary, also taking into account the issues remote team members face, and go from there.
Step 5: Be aware of legal compliance
Finally, but just as important as the rest, you need to consider how to legally protect your company and your external team members. Just because your employees are not employed by the company does not mean that they do not enjoy the same legal protection. For hourly remote workers, how do you plan to record their working hours? What happens if they work more than 40 hours a week? If you don't want your remote employees to accumulate potential overtime, you should set a schedule with them as you would with internal team members.
Then specify this procedure in your remote work policy.
Another point to consider is confidentiality, particularly customer confidentiality. This is part of protecting your company's data, but is also important for legal reasons. It is advisable to create a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and include it in the remote work guidelines. You should also make it clear that a remote worker cannot be terminated based solely on their remote work status. These are just some of the items you can include in your policy. If you require more specific information, you should contact your company's legal department to clarify details.
Now you're ready to create your remote work policy
A strong remote work policy ensures that your company's expectations are clear and that all employees, whether internal or virtual, are held to the same standards. It also protects your business from legal issues should they arise in the future. If you follow these five steps, you'll have a well-rounded remote work policy - and an efficient, productive, and fair remote work environment.
