Many companies transitioned into remote work settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the pandemic is winding down with many people getting vaccinated, remote work isn’t going anywhere. Some organizations are choosing to keep their remote workspaces because of the benefits they’ve seen, such as increased productivity and better work-life balance for their employees. If you are maintaining a virtual office, here are three remote policies to incorporate in your employee handbook.
Standards for Tracking Time Remotely
Creating a cohesive workspace virtually can be a bit of a challenge. One of the key things you need to establish an expectation around is how employees should be tracking their time. This makes it so that each member of your staff is held accountable for the hours they are meant to be working each day. If your team is still sticking to a nine-to-five work schedule in the remote setting, it can also ensure that they are “arriving” to work on time.
Outside of this, it can also help you track how long each team member is taking to complete tasks. For instance, sometimes tracking tools allow you to detail what you are working on. This gives you the ability, as an employer, to track how projects are progressing and how people are managing their time. Whatever the tracking method might be, inform your team of the expectation around tracking time remotely.
How Submissions for Work Each Day Are Handled
Another thing that needs to be communicated with your remote employees is how their work should be submitted each day if there are daily deliverables. In some cases, you may require a daily report to provide an idea of what they worked on throughout the workday. There may be certain documents or reports due at the end of each day or weekly. Set an expectation for how these submissions are handled and make it known to your employees.
Some companies have had good results working with Google Drive and similar software to share key documents or project updates. This makes it so that, no matter what time they are working, your team can provide updated information about their day-to-day work.
Expectations on How Virtual Meetings Should Be Held
When you are in a remote work setting, virtual meetings are a must. Although no one enjoys meeting via Zoom or Skype, it keeps everyone accountable for the job they are doing and projects they are working on. Cover attendance, what virtual meetings will cover, and how often they will be held. Setting these expectations will prevent any misunderstanding between you and your team.
It is a good idea to hold virtual meetings at the same time via the same platform to maintain consistency for the staff. This will make it easier for them to meet company expectations of when they should be available and focused for the call.
If you are piecing together your remote staff, finding the right talent for your company can be a challenge. Let the Staffing Resource Group assist you in finding new employees to add to your virtual team.
