With employees to work from home, the list of to-dos for implementing a strategy can seem daunting for many businesses. Fortunately, having the necessary steps together in a single list can pave the way for companies to effectively deploy their telecommuting options.
The first step in developing a telecommuting strategy is determining if the option will be requested from the employee or required by the employer. Employees may need to request the option if there is a change in their family circumstances or personal health. Alternately, employers may require an employee to work from home if that employee is showing signs of illness or is instructed to self-quarantine because of recent exposure to other infected individuals.
Some positions within the business are more prone to telecommuting than others and can be categorized accordingly. For example, some positions will allow for most of their tasks to be completed remotely, while others will allow for only some or even none at all. An inventory of job roles and responsibilities for each position should be conducted to determine which of the three tiers each falls into.
Depending on the role and the need for information security, the next step is to determine if employees will be able to use personal equipment to do their job or if they will be required to use company-issued devices. This determination will have an impact on budgets and lead to further necessary steps.
Timelines for acquiring new equipment from approved vendors must be taken into consideration as well. Allowing employees to purchase devices themselves may alleviate some of the burden if it is an option. Otherwise, businesses need to designate a point of contact for all purchases being made to equip telecommuters.
The equipment used will also be influenced by what software is required. Industry standard applications may be able to be used across different platforms, but specific software may preclude certain devices from being an option. Either way, information technology personnel will need to assess what is needed for each remote employee.
To cover all the bases, businesses will need to put all of this in writing. Drafting a telecommuting policy that addresses all expectations, especially for employees’ timekeeping, will also address information security protocols to reduce risk and vulnerability. Determining if and how networks are accessed will guide information technology departments in providing the right tools. These policies will then need to be communicated and agreed to by all telecommuting employees.
The final two steps are training and test runs. Human Resources and human capital personnel will need to design new training in order to adequately prepare employees for telecommuting and then phase it in over time if there is the option to do so.
For help effectively deploying your remote workforce, contact a professional Greenville human resources solutions provider like Payroll Medics. Call Payroll Medics at (864) 640-8981 or use our online contact form to request more information.
Read more about How Our HR On Demand Service Can Help You Better Serve Your Employees
