Vienna Global Leaders is a platform by EUNEPA dedicated to developing and connecting managers and leaders in a complex world. One of the most consistent frustrations employees tend to experience with remote working is a feeling of isolation, loneliness or lack of team camaraderie. These guidelines are meant as a checklist for organizing remote work in the current exceptional situation and they are targeted for employees, supervisors and employers. Furthermore, “seeing” your conversation partners during a team meeting helps to establish and maintain trust. SEE: IT pro's road map to working remotely (TechRepublic download). Wake up, check your email, sit down for breakfast while working, keep working throughout the day, suddenly it’s 10 pm and we’re still working. Establish etiquette guidelines. Almost all major companies have on-site technology support, but not remote. Therefore, companies need to state what equipment they are willing to offer to these employees. Some companies prefer or require an employee's physical environment to be approved prior to working remotely. Sony in Japan has done the same, and the Japanese government is asking for cooperation to create a working from home (WFH) environment. Indeed, over a third of full-time employees are projected to work remotely in the next 10 years, according to a recent report from Upwork. 10 Tips for Employers on How to Manage Remote Staff 1. Therefore, we decided to briefly summarize the essentials of working remotely from an. They don’t only help with a more human interaction, but they also clarify tasks and avoid anyone questioning whether others are getting work done. SEE: How to work from home: IT pro's guidebook to telecommuting and remote work (TechRepublic Premium). Here are 10 guidelines to kick off your remote work policy. virtual VGL Forum, an open space online to discuss leadership issues with experts, share solutions and enhance leadership skills across industries. But unspoken rules can create confusion. A work from home (WFH) policy is a document that sets expectations for remote work. Provisioning of tools and technology Technology is the primary enabler of remote work. Since many of us work from home, suddenly the work environment and the home/life environment merge into one never-ending entity. Therefore, adequate technology provisioning has the ability to make or break the success of a telework program. TechRepublic Premium: The best IT policies, templates, and tools, for today and tomorrow. LinkedIn names the 15 hottest job categories for 2021, 8 must-have tools for hiring, managing, and paying virtual teams, IT job and salary guide (TechRepublic Premium), TechRepublic Premium editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits, research for download, Working remotely: A professional's guide to the essential tools, 9 home office upgrades to improve telecommuting, How to land a remote job, and thrive in it, Top 5 video conferencing services to use with remote employees, The biggest mistake managers make with remote workers, Work from home 101: A telecommuter's guide to working remotely, Travel and remote access: What needs to be in a good policy. Don’t skip your morning routine! Just don’t go overboard. Big companies work on secure networks, but when information is taken out of the office, security is not guaranteed. A teleworker must have access to a certain set of essential tools in order to support continued productivity outside the office. Companies need to plainly state that no employee will be terminated on the basis of working remotely. Join our virtual VGL Forum, an open space online to discuss leadership issues with experts, share solutions and enhance leadership skills across industries. Include representatives from IT security, support and infrastructure groups during the process. Boundaries between work and life get blurred for remote workers. It's important that prospective remote workers are aware of the technological expectations up front so they know if they can meet them. Currently, 63% of companies have at least some remote workers, yet the majority don't have any remote work policy in place, said the report. This also affects responsiveness: Know when people are available, and remember where they are if you are spread across time zones. So while the zombie apocalypse may not quite be here yet, the current situation is a great case study to create and test guidelines, safely bridge the Coronavirus season, and possibly even hire remote talent or offer the option as a (part-time) perk. Separate your day into chunks. Her research and training focus includes New Ways of Working, Flexible Organizations, Organizational Culture and Digital Leadership. Organizing expectations around communication creates a healthy relationship between employees and supervisors--no one will have concerns about productivity expectations, or be left in the dark. A common fear by managers is that employees will be less productive. So there are a few things you’ll need to be aware of to ensure you’re an effective remote worker. "Unspoken or informal policies are more common," said Castanon-Martinez. Just under 15% of the UK workforce — 4.2 million people — now work from their homes, cafes or shared remote workspaces. Barbara is a senior researcher and lecturer at different universities in Austria and abroad and Visiting Professor at the University of Valencia/Spain. This is normal in an office environment, so keeping the same schedule will help you minimize issues as your workforce shifts to a remote environment. This way, no one gets frustrated. Required fields are marked *. A remote work policy is an important piece of having a successful work flexibility program. This website uses cookies to ensure the best possible experience. Again, keeping information confidential is much easier in a protected workspace. your eyes will thank you. Often this would also distract yourself, as we saw in this 2017 viral, “What It Takes to Run a Great Virtual Meeting”. You might want to use, Socializing is not around a coffee or copy machine anymore when you work remotely. Your email address will not be published. "This is probably a result of the learning curve that organizations go through in the early stages." Managers will need to be clearer than ever before: What are the roles and responsibilities of each team member, what do we want to do this week, how will we see it, how will we check in? However, studies show that remote workers are as productive if not more so than office workers. Companies without remote-compliant positions should state that from the beginning, eliminating any future requests or inquiries about remote work. have asked the part of their staff to work from home where possible, and some have declared home office mandatory in South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan offices. She used herself as an example: "If I'm on the phone with you right now, doesn't matter where I'm phoning from, doesn't matter where you phoned me, right?". like in retail, construction, hotels or child care. Guidelines for policy development practices include the following: Engage stakeholders from the HR, legal and/or compliance departments, as well as from the major business units. 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