Building a Remote Workforce Policy for Your Company: Everything You Need to Know

A remote work policy is a written agreement between employers and employees regarding when and how they can work outside the office.

For reasons including higher employee retention, better access to a diverse talent pool, and increased productivity, many organizations prefer to offer remote work for the long run.

However, because remote employee management differs from office-based employee management, it's critical for businesses to correctly define their remote employee management methods. When designing a remote workforce policy, many vital factors must be specified.

Some crucial key that needs to be defined when creating a remote workforce policy are discussed below:

Who is eligible to work remotely?

You've heard of companies like Automatic (the firm behind WordPress) and GitLab, which operate entirely remotely, with no office space and workers working from wherever they want.

Although it appears to be a good idea on paper, not all businesses will choose or be able to implement a fully remote strategy. That is why the hybrid model is the most popular, as it prioritizes choice over remote work and allows employees to select where they want to put in their hours.

When designing a remote workforce policy, however, you must first consider who can work outside of the office and how often. Consider if it is up to the employee to decide how much time they spend at home and how much time they spend at work, or whether they must seek approval from their boss. Remember that these factors will determine your remote work strategy, so getting them properly is crucial.

What hours do you expect remote employees to be available?

Next, make a list of your remote workers' duties. Is it possible for them to work flexible hours within a specified time frame, or do you require them to be available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.? Some businesses establish response policies similar to Service Level Agreements, such as responding to emails within 2-4 hours.

When thinking about remote teams, it's crucial to remember different time zones; therefore, you might want to use terms like "as soon as feasible" or "2-4 hours throughout your local working day."

What kind of equipment and technical support do you provide to home workers?

Your employees benefit from office furniture and technology, including chairs and desks, conference room space, software licenses, and maybe a few too many Coffee pods. Various companies have different policies when it comes to providing tools and technology, and your remote work policy is where it should be laid out.

Consider what technology you're willing to give and source, as well as what equipment you'll pay for as an expense but want employees to buy upfront. Consider how much you're willing to offer as a home-working allowance to cover extras such as printers and ink cartridges, if applicable. Some decisions are similar to those made for in-office employees, such as supplying business laptops, while others, such as who will pay for internet access or a dedicated phone line, may require more discussion.

It's also crucial to consider technical assistance because if a laptop breaks at home, your employee won't be able to bring it to the IT desk. Do you expect staff to bring their devices into the office to be repaired, or are you prepared to pay for local servicing and maintenance?

What strategy will you use to manage collaboration and communication?

When managing remote teams, keeping employees motivated is critical from the start. After all, you're not just managing people but also trying to build a productive and consistent culture.

Why not specify which communication methods are effective and available for each situation in your remote workforce policy and how often they should be used? Slack, for example, is an excellent tool for keeping in touch with coworkers throughout the day, and you could also require a weekly 1:1 with the employee's manager via Zoom or Google Meet. This encourages regular interactions and maintains lines of communication open in order to create connections.

There are also many other factors to consider for remote working policy, but the above listed are the most important and beneficial.

A remote workforce policy benefits both the company and its employees.  It's a smart move to think about how you want to develop and word your remote working policy because it's become a need for talented and skilled individuals.

Allowing employees to work from home on occasion or hiring one or two employees at a different location without establishing your remote policy may put your firm at risk of noncompliance and negatively impact your culture.