The emphasis is on flexible work arrangements and on finding and keeping talent, which may mean accommodating diverse physical locations and non-traditional work- life fit arrangements. The MSU WorkLife Office will be providing resources to help you navigate this first in our lifetime situation. There are also workplaces that fall somewhere in the middle by allowing staff to choose shifts or stipulating certain hours that all employees must be online. 20 Tips for Working From Home. Though your employees are human and homelife may bleed into the workday from time to time, separating the two environments is in the best interests of your company and your employee. Throughout the pandemic, offline channels have been especially vulnerable to uncertain demand, shifting safety guidelines, and economic pressure—and as a…, By Jiong Liu As more companies adopt work-from-anywhere policies, best practices are emerging. While there are several advantages of working remotely, there’s a monstrous risk for those that are obligated to comply with HIPAA: keeping clie… 13 Best Practices for Working From Home. Coronavirus: Best Practices for Working From Home, According to a Six-Figure Social Media Entrepreneur As businesses shift to remote working setups, here are … For example, perhaps the company will not cover theft, but battery replacement is part of the warranty. For more insights on how to accomodate a remote work strategy and the technology that can help a distributed workforce, check out these resources: Currently a Content Marketing Manager for Product at Okta, Pam switched from a career in instruction-based technical writing to the marketing space. Work from home is what you do when you usually work at an office space but due to current limitations or choice, you prefer to do the same work from home. The Government of Saskatchewan is continuing to update its policies and procedures for employees to work temporarily from home as part of measures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. You should enforce work from home policies and regulations equally among staff. As more companies adopt work-from-anywhere policies, best practices are emerging. Why is this happening? For instance, you may devise a classification system for meetings so your working parents know which Zoom calls are welcome to tiny party-crashers, and which video conferences your employees might want to take in the car or at the office. The outbreak of the coronavirus has more people working from home than ever. Addressing behavior is also advisable. You may want to set cut off hours so that your employees do not check emails after midnight or engage in other overworking activities that can lead to burnout. Typically embraced for its flexibility, work from home policies help employers recruit and retain top performers, because the convenience and comfort of working from home is largely appealing to employees. In the past, businesses were strict about in-office attendance, but an increasing number of companies now allow employees to work from home more liberally. Time to Make a Work from Home Policy. Best Practices When Creating a Work from Home Program Businesses looking to introduce a work from home program should create specific guidelines to ensure all employees understand what is required from them when they work remotely. In fact, these programs can save time by eliminating the need to track down a colleague within the building. Practice Pointers. Confirm that all employees have the necessary security or encryption software loaded onto their devices, regularly remind them of their data protection requirements, and encourage them to stay vigilant to protect against security threats. You may want to clarify whether an employee can use any repair shop, should visit a certain approved vendor, or must mail the equipment, with a tracking number, to the central IT office. Better to make this point crystal clear up front. Culture is just as important to maintain online as it is in an office. Use clear and specific wording. | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy, What are the types of work from home policies, What to include in a work from home policy, Mute your microphone upon entering the call, Broadcast from a clean space or use a neutral background, Limit virtual meetings to one hour or less. WFH policies don’t have to be a one-and-done thing—they can evolve alongside your company. You found our list of work from home policy best practices. Employees still need to follow labor laws, so you should remind workers to take required breaks and monitor the timecards to catch and correct any issues. All remote employees should know how to reach the IT department. Make yourself visible at work. Here are a few tips on maintaining efficiency and productivity when the lines blur between personal and professional turfs. Before employees can begin working from home, they need to know whether they’re eligible to do so, and how they should inform the rest of their team that they’ll be outside of the office. The policy clarifies which situations are acceptable reasons to work from home, for example, illness, inclement weather, or family emergency. The pandemic crisis of 2020 showed that many workers could perform jobs effectively at home, making many workers question the traditional routine. As each family and work situation is different, please work directly with your supervisor to prepare the best plan for your work and family situation. Standards for appropriate use can vary from company to company. For example, this document might include information on tech packages, password sharing, time tracking, expense management and more. With the pandemic expected to continue for some more time, it is important for people to adopt few methods that enhance one’s efficiency as well as well-being. Creating network blocklists to prevent access from known bad networks, tor browsers, or risk geolocations. First, companies need to determine what positions are eligible to work remotely, and state … We run world class online team building events that remote teams love. This blog pieces together best practices for remote workers. Cybersecurity is a major concern in virtual offices. in History from the University of California at Berkeley, and in her free time enjoys staycations, cooking, and craft cocktails. If you plan to implement this policy long-term, the HR team can be instrumental in drafting what goes into your employee handbook regarding work-from-home policies. Washing the dishes between meetings is a temptation, and might even be a productivity-booster for some folks. If remote work is only available for certain positions or extenuating circumstances, then you should explicitly state this fact in the policy. While remote work is usually seen as the answer to the “work-life balance” dilemma we’re all so familiar with, remote work has its own challenges. There are organizational, operational and employee management situations that, if … Work from home policy guidelines and best practices The proliferation of smartphones, laptops, and productivity apps has made it easier to work from anywhere—but it still takes time and thoughtful consideration to create work from home rules that sets your people up for success. Between unsecured…, By Albert Chen One of the most important steps companies need to take before enabling employees to work remotely is to change how they think about the security perimeter.