The option to work from home is an increasingly important factor in job selection, especially for younger generations in the work force. In Canada, working from home is not an inherent right that workers have. Employers may decide to provide this benefit, or it may be necessary as part of their duty to accommodate their employees due to disability or other reasons.
Have a Remote Work Policy
Generally, the terms for remote working should be established at the start of employment and employers should have a policy that sets out the expectations for this. If you decide that allowing employees to work from home is right for your business, you should take the following steps to manage them.
Managing Remote Workers
Remote work shouldn’t equate to isolation. To ensure your employees remain integrated with the team, have them come in regularly to catch up and require their presence during meetings and presentations. Consistent contact with employees via email, video conference or calls will also help with management and making sure they are staying on track with work. To facilitate collaboration upload documents to cloud-based applications and have employees work on shared documents. Make sure that your business data is secure by installing antivirus and anti-malware software on your company devices, and have your employees use these for their remote work.
What to Include in Your Policy
You can outline your expectations for remote work in a company policy, in the employee handbook and in employment contracts. This policy should set out who is eligible to work from home, when this option is available and what their work hours and schedule will be. It should also specify how quickly they should be responding to communications from coworkers and completing their work. The measurements of productivity you will be implementing should also be mentioned. This might entail measuring the amount of time spent on an assignment, the number of clients interacted with or how many cases have been resolved.
There’s more you need to know. Ask our HR advisors for help.
Consult our experts to find out the benefits of remote work, what problems could potentially arise and whether this is the right choice for your business. We can help you develop a remote work policy by providing you with documentation tailored to your business. Speak to a consultant today: 1(833)247-3652.
