The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 took so many of us by surprise, but in workplaces across the country, it was as though a switch had flipped. Aside from those deemed essential workers, the rest of us were suddenly transported to working from home practically overnight.
For many employers, this presented a logistical nightmare. Companies that had completely eschewed remote work previously and would never think to allow employees to work from home except in extreme circumstances were now faced with working from home becoming the new normal.
Almost five years later, we have transitioned to a world where hybrid work has become a common standard. Employers still desire some degree of face-to-face time with employees, and most employees prefer the flexibility of working remotely. The reality, though, is that many work-from-home policies barely existed in 2019, were written on an ad-hoc basis in 2020, and have not been reviewed since.
It’s time to give those remote work policies another look, and here are some of the policies that are important to have in place:
Hours of Work
If you are going to allow employees to work remotely, you need to make your expectations clear. During the pandemic, employers became far more flexible than they had during in-person work due to homeschooling, medical issues, family care, and other obligations that employees were juggling alongside their work duties. Traditional working hours were often replaced with a response of “just get it done when you can.”
Some employers have maintained that approach and others have gone back to greater rigidity, so employers need to make their position clear. Are you expecting your employees online 40 hours a week, or do they have flexibility around core business hours? Are you expecting them to work out of certain locations at certain times, or is the work truly remote?
Clarity in these policies is key. Many employers claim to have flexible policies but still scowl at employees who hesitate to work 5 days a week in the office. You can design the policy you want, but make sure that it matches the expectations of your business.
Technology and Social Media Usage
When employees work from an office, it is a must to set rules about their technology usage – i.e.: no social media, no personal browsing on workplace devices, etc. However, with employees working remotely, employers lose oversight of an employee’s activities minute-by-minute. An employee could easily be logged in to the corporate platform on their work laptop while simultaneously browsing social media on their personal smartphone.
Most employers have accepted that this is the reality, but the policies should be clear. Are employees allowed to use corporate-owned technology? It must be clear what the expectations for those devices are. If you do not want employees browsing social media on work-owned devices, the policy must be clear. Similarly, if employees should have zero expectation of privacy on said devices, the policy should be made clear.
Electronic Monitoring
As of 2023, Ontario employers with more than 25 employees were required by law to have a written policy on electronic monitoring of employees. This means that employers could no longer secretly install hidden cameras, keylogging software (that monitors keystrokes), or other technological tools to monitor employees without their knowledge. This also includes GPS software to track an employee’s movements, or even software that monitors employee-owned devices when they are used for work purposes.
The policy does not forbid employers from doing this sort of monitoring, but employees need to understand what is being monitored and why. Even though it is a requirement at 25 employees, these sorts of policies can be helpful for a smaller employer who wants to engage in electronic monitoring of their remote workers. While remote work naturally cedes some level of oversight and control, it does not need to disappear entirely.
Remember that the element of trust is crucial to the employment relationship. Employers should be hiring employees that they can trust, and employees should be able to trust that employers are not monitoring them unnecessarily or for sinister purposes.
Health and Safety
How does health and safety work when employees are not in a physical office? It may get slightly more complicated, but an employer’s obligations toward protecting employee health and safety do not vanish simply because an employee is offsite. Where things get complicated is that an employee’s home may now double as their workplace for legal purposes.
Employers should have health and safety policies that deal specifically with remote workers. Employees should still be mindful of hazards, even at home, and learn how to avoid them while working. Employees should also be educated about proper ergonomic setups, and employers may even offer a small stipend for employees to purchase new home office furniture that will better equip their workstations.
Employers are also still responsible for preventing bullying and harassment, which has now commonly moved to the online forum. Training should now include education in what sort of conduct is not okay online, from social media posts and private messages, to conduct during virtual meetings. Good policies, and good training, are still crucial for preventing incidents.
Performance Management
You may not be able to look over a remote worker’s shoulder, but you should not always need to do that in the office, either. Set policies that set expectations and outline how you will deal with performance management. What conduct is expected of employees working remotely? How will success be measured, and how frequently? What sort of feedback can employees expect on a routine basis?
Similarly, what are the discipline procedures for any policy infractions that take place? If employees are not monitored in the same way, how will they be given a chance to course-correct any issues that arise? If there is a performance issue, what sort of monitoring can they expect before any discipline is issued? A well-written policy should answer all of these questions so employees are not left guessing whether or not they are doing good work.
Final Thoughts
Just because employees are working remotely, it does not mean that you are losing control of your workplace. Well-written policies can set the right expectations for everybody and ensure that your whole team is set up for success. We can help assess your individual organization and make sure that no questions are left unanswered. Contact us today to set up a consultation.
