As times and technology change, so does the concept of going to work. Not long ago, bosses expected employees to show up at the same office building to report for duty.
Today, more and more employers are looking at ways to be flexible for their employees while saving costs on expensive buildings and office space. Due to the current pandemic, businesses have been forced to carefully consider their workforce, part of which necessarily includes analyzing whether there may be employees who are able to work from home to support the business.
Here are a few issues you should consider when deciding if employees can or should work remotely.
Accountability is still possible
One of the biggest concerns about employees working from home is whether they will still get their work done. It is easy to assume that the employee who occasionally scrolls through social media while in the office might spend the entire day online, playing games or just not working very diligently if allowed to work from home.
Now, there are task management and other productivity tools to ensure your employees are still completing their work. In some cases, you may find that employees can focus better at home without work friends to distract them.
If remote work is new to your organization, make the transition a collaborative effort. Talk to your employees about their productivity goals and how you both can feel confident that employees are completing their work.
Bring work to the talent
Allowing remote work gives you a unique opportunity. When you have the option for employees to work from home, geography no longer limits your search for the best talent.
As you consider new employees, be open to people who are willing to work remotely. While you may be used to seeing people in person in the office, you might find your next best employee lives on the other side of the country.
Keep in mind that the transition to a remote workforce can be gradual or it can be forced upon you as was the case for many businesses as a result of the current pandemic. Depending on your business, and if circumstances allow, it might make sense to allow employees to begin to work remotely for a few days per week before eventually sending everyone to their home offices full-time.
If you are uncertain about how to implement these sorts of changes in your business or what other policies and procedures you might need to implement, an attorney can help.
