Working from home has become the new normal for employees at many tech companies around the globe. Remote working promotes a healthy work-life balance for employees and can lead to increased productivity and creativity.But switching to remote working comes with many questions and room for confusion, mostly directed towards HR departments. So, having a clear WFH (work from home) policy drafted ensures both the employer and the employee know what is expected and helps to avoid any potential issues.

What Is a Work From Home Policy?

A WFH (aka work from home) policy is a document that outlines a company’s expectations and procedures for employees who work from home. HR leaders must create effective WFH policies to clarify some of the following points:

Who Is Permitted to Work From Home?

In Buffer's "State of Remote Work 2022" report, 97% of remote workers want to continue working from home for the rest of their careers, even if only offered some of the time. To find out if this is possible, employees who want to work from home must submit a request to their manager to determine if remote working is feasible.

As you can see from the below tweet, companies like Tesla have made it clear that remote working is off the table for their employees. But your organization may be more flexible. Your WFH policy can outline which roles are suitable for remote working and which employees are eligible to request to work from home.

How Often Can Employees Work From Home?

The frequency of working from home will differ from company to company. Some employers have gone remote-first, opening up opportunities for employees to work from wherever they like or even move abroad without the risk of losing their job. Other companies prefer a hybrid model, where employees work from home a couple of days a week and come into the office for the rest.

Your WFH policy should clearly state how often employees are allowed to work from home and the expectations for working remotely. This might include what type of work is permitted from home and how many hours employees are expected to work.

How Should Communication Work?

Communication is one of the more challenging aspects of remote work. Not being in the same physical location makes it harder to keep track of what everyone is working on. It can also lead to feelings of isolation.

It's important to set up clear communication channels between remote employees and their managers. For example, you should spell out when employees should:

  • Schedule a video call.
  • Send a Loom video.
  • Ping a Slack message to a coworker.

It's also worth outlining whether your company wants colleagues to respond to each other in real-time or switch to asynchronous communication.

What Are the Equipment Requirements?

If you allow employees to work from home, they'll need the right equipment to do their job effectively. This could include a laptop, printer, and a solid internet connection.

In your remote working policy, explain what equipment is required for employees to do their job from home. Also, clarify whether the company will provide this equipment or if employees need to source it themselves.

When Should Employees Take Breaks?

Working from home can make it challenging to take a break, and some employees may feel like they need to work longer hours to prove their worth. But it's important to encourage employees to take breaks, as this can lead to improved focus and productivity. Ensure your policy outlines when employees should take breaks and how they can use their time off.

What Are the IT Security Expectations?

Remote work has led to growing concerns about cybersecurity attacks. CNN reports that 47% of employees working from home use shadow IT solutions, including untested software and services. Use your policy to clarify the expectations for IT security and what employees need to do to protect company data. This could include using a VPN, two-factor authentication, and avoiding public Wi-Fi hotspots.

How Will Performance Monitoring Work?

Managers will need to find new ways to monitor employee performance while working from home. This could include setting up regular check-ins, using project management software, or sending weekly updates.

Decide how performance will be monitored and how employees can give feedback to their managers. By creating a WFH policy, HR leaders can support remote employees and ensure they have the tools and resources to succeed.

How to Create a WFH Policy for Your Team

Creating a WFH policy may seem daunting, but it's quite simple. Try using templates or software solutions to simplify the process rather than draft a manual policy (although this is an option).

1. Bambee HR

Bambee offers an HR Autopilot feature that can help you create a WFH policy in minutes. The software makes it easy for your HR manager to build custom HR policies for your business needs. But it doesn't just create the policy, it also ensures they're current and signed by your employees. You can also reaffirm them semi-annually depending on your requirements, and any changes to your remote working processes.

2. Owl Labs

Owl Labs offers a series of remote, flexible, and hybrid work policy templates, which you can download for free from their site. The Remote Work Policy is pre-configured with editable fields like:

  • Purpose
  • Key Terms
  • Tools + Support
  • Communication
  • Meetings
  • Approval + Tracking
  • Remote Work Agreement

Simply download, edit, and print or distribute.

Owl Labs work from home policy template

3. Better Team

Better Team also offers a remote work policy that you can download as a Word doc template. You can use it as is, or edit it to better reflect the needs of your company. The template includes sections for:

  • Employee information
  • Remote work area
  • Equipment
  • Authorization

Both the employee and supervisor should sign this policy.

Betterlab work from home policy template

Set Up Your Remote Work Policy

Now you've learned how to create a remote work policy, it's time to implement it in your organization. When setting up your WFH policy, be sure to consider the needs of your employees and what would work best for them.

It must also comply with all relevant laws and regulations, and also be flexible enough to allow for changes in the future. Having a WFH policy in place will ensure everyone feels confident and productive in their remote working role.