The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to adopt remote work policies, and it’s likely that this trend will continue in the future. In fact, according to a recent survey, 74% of remote workers say they’re more productive when working from home. However, transitioning from an office-based environment to a remote work setup can be challenging. In this blog, we’ll discuss the steps you can take to develop a working remotely policy that works for your business.
Step 1: Define Your Remote Work Policy
The first step in developing a remote work policy is to define what it is. A remote work policy is a set of guidelines that dictate how employees can work outside of the office. This policy should outline the expectations and responsibilities of both the employer and the employee. It should also include guidelines for communication, work hours, and productivity.
When defining your remote work policy, consider the following questions:
- Who is eligible for remote work?
- What are the expectations for communication?
- How will remote work be measured?
- How will equipment and technology be provided?
- What are the expectations for productivity?
- What are the expectations for work hours?
- What are the expectations for attendance?
Who is eligible for remote work?
The first question to consider when defining your remote work policy is who is eligible for remote work. Not all employees may be eligible for remote work, and it’s important to define the criteria for eligibility. For example, employees who work in roles that require them to be physically present in the office may not be eligible for remote work. On the other hand, employees who work in roles that can be done remotely may be eligible for remote work.
What are the expectations for communication?
Communication is key when it comes to remote work. Without face-to-face interactions, it’s important to establish clear guidelines for communication. This includes how often employees should check in, what communication channels should be used, and how quickly employees should respond to messages.
When establishing guidelines for communication, consider the following:
- Which communication channels will be used (e.g. email, instant messaging, video conferencing)?
- How often should employees check in?
- How quickly should employees respond to messages?
- What are the expectations for after-hours communication?
How will remote work be measured?
Measuring remote work can be challenging, but it’s important to establish a system for measuring productivity and ensuring that employees are meeting their goals. This may include setting specific goals and deadlines, monitoring progress regularly, and providing feedback and support to employees.
How will equipment and technology be provided?
To ensure that employees can work effectively from home, it’s important to provide them with the necessary equipment and technology. This includes things like laptops, internet access, and software licenses. It’s also important to ensure that employees have access to technical support if they encounter any issues.
What are the expectations for productivity?
One of the biggest concerns when it comes to remote work is productivity. To ensure that employees are productive while working from home, it’s important to set clear expectations. This includes outlining specific goals and deadlines, and monitoring progress regularly.
What are the expectations for work hours?
When working from home, it can be easy to blur the lines between work and personal life. To avoid this, it’s important to establish clear guidelines for work hours. This includes outlining specific work hours, and ensuring that employees take breaks throughout the day.
What are the expectations for attendance?
Attendance is another important consideration when developing a remote work policy. While employees may not be physically present in the office, it’s still important to establish guidelines for attendance and ensure that employees are available during designated work hours.
Step 2: Establish Guidelines for Communication
Communication is key when it comes to remote work. Without face-to-face interactions, it’s important to establish clear guidelines for communication. This includes how often employees should check in, what communication channels should be used, and how quickly employees should respond to messages.
Which communication channels will be used?
When establishing guidelines for communication, it’s important to determine which communication channels will be used. This may include email, instant messaging, video conferencing, or other tools. It’s important to choose communication channels that are effective and efficient, and that allow for easy collaboration and communication between team members.
How often should employees check in?
It’s important to establish guidelines for how often employees should check in. This may vary depending on the nature of the work and the needs of the team. For example, employees may be required to check in at the beginning and end of each workday, or they may be required to check in at specific intervals throughout the day.
How quickly should employees respond to messages?
When working remotely, it’s important to establish guidelines for how quickly employees should respond to messages. This may vary depending on the nature of the message and the urgency of the situation. For example, employees may be required to respond to urgent messages within a certain timeframe, while non-urgent messages may have a longer response time.
What are the expectations for after-hours communication?
It’s important to establish guidelines for after-hours communication. This may include defining what constitutes after-hours communication, and establishing guidelines for how and when employees should respond to messages outside of designated work hours.
Step 3: Provide Equipment and Technology
To ensure that employees can work effectively from home, it’s important to provide them with the necessary equipment and technology. This includes things like laptops, internet access, and software licenses. It’s also important to ensure that employees have access to technical support if they encounter any issues.
What equipment and technology will be provided?
When providing equipment and technology, it’s important to determine what will be provided by the employer and what employees will be responsible for providing themselves. This may include laptops, monitors, keyboards, and other hardware, as well as software licenses and internet access.
Who will be responsible for setting up and maintaining the equipment?
It’s important to determine who will be responsible for setting up and maintaining the equipment. This may include IT staff, or it may be the responsibility of the employee to set up and maintain their own equipment.
What are the expectations for technical support?
It’s important to establish guidelines for technical support. This may include defining what types of technical issues will be covered by technical support, and establishing guidelines for how and when employees can access technical support.
Step 4: Set Expectations for Productivity
One of the biggest concerns when it comes to remote work is productivity. To ensure that employees are productive while working from home, it’s important to set clear expectations. This includes outlining specific goals and deadlines, and monitoring progress regularly.
What are the specific goals and deadlines?
When setting expectations for productivity, it’s important to establish specific goals and deadlines. This may include setting weekly or monthly goals, or establishing specific project milestones.
How will progress be monitored?
It’s important to establish a system for monitoring progress and ensuring that employees are meeting their goals. This may include regular check-ins, progress reports, or other methods of tracking progress.
What are the consequences for not meeting expectations?
It’s important to establish consequences for not meeting expectations. This may include disciplinary action, or it may involve revisiting the remote work policy to determine if changes need to be made.
Step 5: Establish Guidelines for Work Hours
When working from home, it can be easy to blur the lines between work and personal life. To avoid this, it’s important to establish clear guidelines for work hours. This includes outlining specific work hours, and ensuring that employees take breaks throughout the day.
What are the specific work hours?
When establishing guidelines for work hours, it’s important to define the specific work hours that employees are expected to adhere to. This may include traditional work hours, or it may involve flexible work hours that allow employees to work at times that are most productive for them.
How will breaks be managed?
It’s important to establish guidelines for breaks throughout the day. This may include defining the length and frequency of breaks, or it may involve encouraging employees to take breaks when they feel they need them.
What are the expectations for attendance?
Attendance is another important consideration when developing a remote work policy. While employees may not be physically present in the office, it’s still important to establish guidelines for attendance and ensure that employees are available during designated work hours.
Step 6: Monitor and Evaluate
Once your remote work policy is in place, it’s important to monitor and evaluate its effectiveness. This includes gathering feedback from employees, and making any necessary adjustments to the policy.
How will feedback be gathered?
It’s important to establish a system for gathering feedback from employees. This may include surveys, focus groups, or other methods of collecting feedback.
What metrics will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy?
It’s important to establish metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of the policy. This may include measuring productivity, employee satisfaction, or other key performance indicators.
What adjustments need to be made to the policy?
Based on feedback and evaluation, it may be necessary to make adjustments to the remote work policy. This may involve revising guidelines for communication, productivity, or work hours, or it may involve revisiting eligibility criteria for remote work.
Conclusion
Developing a remote work policy can be challenging, but it’s worth the effort. By following these steps, you can create a policy that works for your business and your employees. Remember, communication is key when it comes to remote work. By establishing clear guidelines for communication, providing equipment and technology, setting expectations for productivity and work hours, and monitoring and evaluating the policy, you can ensure that your remote work policy is a success.