| Telecommuting offers a lot of benefits to both the | | | | in the office. Employees still have the choice to show |
| employer and employees. For the company, the set up | | | | up and finish their work in the conventional workspace |
| means a more cost-effective way of operating | | | | provided for them. |
| business functions because less energy is consumed | | | | 5. Ensure employee safety. It's also important to make |
| for the performance of daily tasks. There is also little | | | | sure that your agreement clarifies who is responsible |
| need to manage a huge workspace when most of | | | | for employee safety when the worker is |
| the workers are accomplishing their assigned tasks | | | | accomplishing his tasks from home. You can hold your |
| from outside the office. For employees, working from | | | | workers accountable for maintaining the safety of their |
| home allows them to save from the expenses | | | | home workplace. In addition, you can provide a clause |
| incurred commuting to and from the office. It also gives | | | | that allows you, the employer, to inspect the home |
| them an opportunity to spend more time with their | | | | workspace to make sure that it follows the guidelines |
| families, as in the case of WAHM (work at home | | | | stipulated in the agreement. |
| mom), and reduce work-related stress. | | | | 6. Ensure confidentiality. Company information is |
| Developing a work-at-home policy: A guide for HR | | | | another consideration when managing virtual workers. |
| managers | | | | Business data may be compromised since workers |
| Managing telecommuting programs is different from | | | | are accessing them from outside the office. As such, |
| supervising actual workers in person. To maximize the | | | | it's important to stipulate in the agreement ownership |
| benefit of telecommuting, it's important for supervisors | | | | of information and company documents in case the |
| to learn how to work with remote teams from a virtual | | | | employee leaves your company. This should be clearly |
| office. | | | | spelled out and confidentiality of work information |
| Before anything else, however, you need to devise a | | | | should also be underlined. |
| policy that covers flexible work options and managing | | | | 7. Make sure that technology is available. If you're going |
| virtual workers. Such concepts as maintaining | | | | to hire virtual employees, you need to also include a |
| workplace flexibility and wage and hour laws must be | | | | technology checklist of what you require the applicant |
| taken into consideration. | | | | to have to qualify as a telecommuter. Technology is |
| Here are top ten tips in developing a telecommuting | | | | important when maintaining a virtual workspace, so |
| policy. | | | | new hires should have devices such as a dedicated |
| | | | phone line for business, three-way calling systems, |
| 1. Identify your business needs. It's important to list how | | | | high-speed internet access and fax machine among |
| having people work from outside the office would | | | | others. |
| benefit your business, and assess if the benefits | | | | 8. Wage and hour laws If unprepared, a human |
| outweigh the consequences. Your policy needs to | | | | resource manager may be forced to face a minefield |
| sufficiently address the expectations of your company | | | | of issues on wage and hour laws. You need to |
| as far as work output and human resources are | | | | navigate this carefully in order to avoid liability. Record |
| concerned. | | | | and track all hours worked by employees who |
| 2. Identify who can telecommute. Understand that not | | | | telecommute. You may consider installing timekeeping |
| everyone in your company can and should be allowed | | | | software for the equipment / computers given to |
| to work from home. Managing telecommuting | | | | employees, as punching the usual timeclock is not |
| arrangements means overseeing to the productivity of | | | | possible. Determine a system of properly |
| people who are not within shouting distance so you | | | | compensating telecommuting workers for all hours |
| wouldn't be able check on the quality of their output | | | | worked, plus overtime (if they are not exempt). The |
| until the work is actually submitted to you. As such, | | | | biggest problem here is how to compensate |
| developing a telecommuting policy needs to include | | | | telecommuting employees who sit idly, waiting for |
| creating requirements for those who want to | | | | instructions. Keep in mind that telecommuters may be |
| telecommute. For instance, you need teleworkers who | | | | considered "on call" 24/7. Make sure that it is clear to |
| are organized, exhibit strong problem solving abilities, | | | | the employees whether they "engaged to be waiting" |
| and have excellent communication skills, among other | | | | (as in firemen, for whom the waiting time is working |
| skill sets. Your policy should constitute a clear criterion | | | | time) or "waiting to be engaged" (which means they |
| for determining who can work from home so you can | | | | can do what they like as long as they are available by |
| easily defend your decisions later on. Beyond the | | | | email, cell, etc.) |
| individual's skill sets, you must also look into which | | | | 9. Quality metrics To gauge the effectiveness of a |
| positions in your organization lend themselves to | | | | telecommuting program, you need to devise certain |
| telecommuting. Some positions will not be affected at | | | | metrics for quality of service. It's important for you to |
| all if the worker becomes a teleworker; others may be | | | | make sure that your employees are still performing |
| impossible to fill with a remote worker. | | | | according to your expectations. Just like in any work |
| 3. Implement guidelines for dependent care. While | | | | situation, quality, quantity, cost-effectiveness, and |
| working from home does have the added benefit of | | | | timeliness ate the four main measures to review. Once |
| being able to spend more time with one's family, it | | | | you have established performance measures, you |
| should not be taken as an alternative to making | | | | need to establish a feedback system, which helps |
| arrangements for dependent care. Work productivity | | | | maintain good performance. Additionally, telecommuting |
| will be compromised if the teleworker has to attend to | | | | employees need a channel with which to keep their |
| the children while drafting documents for the virtual | | | | managers informed about their work progress. |
| office. | | | | 10. Communication Finally, one important detail that you |
| 4. Formalize agreements on equipment Your policies | | | | need to consider when developing a telecommuting |
| should also consider the types of equipment that a | | | | policy is communication. The policies should include |
| telecommuter would need to be able to work | | | | information on how often you expect your workers to |
| efficiently out of the office. The agreement has to | | | | check their e-mails, for instance, so they're kept |
| stipulate who will provide the equipment for the worker. | | | | updated. Communication should never be one-way; |
| Some companies provide computers and allowances | | | | thus, you also need to establish and follow guidelines |
| for internet services to their remote teams while there | | | | on how employees can reach their supervisors - who |
| are those who don't. In the latter case, flexible work | | | | may also be telecommuting. |
| options are usually provided as alternatives to working | | | | |