Establish expectations for employee's remote work: Work from Home Policy
What is a Work from Home Policy?
A Work from Home Policy is a policy document that clearly defines who can work from home and the expectations and responsibilities of those employees who work from home.
Work from Home Policies allows businesses to protect themselves while taking advantage of the many benefits of remote work, such as higher productivity, lower organizational costs for employers, and an advantage in competitive hiring markets. Robust Work from Home Policies also allow employees to enjoy benefits like greater flexibility and the elimination of a long commute.
This Work from Home Policy will cover details such as who is eligible to work from home, the process for requesting a work from home arrangement, and the approval process.
When to use a Work from Home Policy:
- You are an employer who would like to allow an employee to work from home.
- You are an employer who would like to clearly define an employee's responsibilities while working from home.
Have questions about your Work from Home Policy?
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- Understand what it says or review it. Use our AI legal assistant to ask questions about your Work from Home Policy, understand what it says, and spot anything that may need a closer look.
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Sample Work from Home Policy
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Definition
Telecommuting, also called teleworking, working from home, or working remotely, is a work arrangement in which an employee works outside of the office.
Employee Eligibility
Candidates for work-from-home arrangements must:
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• Be trustworthy, disciplined, and self-motivated
• Possess good time-management or organizational skills
Position Eligibility
An employee may be eligible to work remotely if their duties can be met through basic hardware and software. Not all jobs can be performed from off-site locations. Typically, positions requiring face-to-face interaction with customers and office personnel do not meet work-from-home requirements.
Type of Arrangement
While employees and their supervisor have the freedom to develop arrangements tailored to employee and departmental needs, the following requirements must be met:
• Employees must be able to carry out the same duties, assignments, and other work responsibilities at their home office as they do when working on 's premises.
• Employees must be available to attend scheduled meetings and participate in other required office activities at the home office as needed.
• The employee and manager will agree on the number of days of telecommuting allowed each week, the work schedule the employee will customarily maintain, and the manner and frequency of communication. The employee should be reachable online or by phone within a reasonable time period during the agreed upon work schedule.
Security
Securing data and company information should be of the utmost concern. Consistent with the organization's expectations of information security for employees working at the office, employees working from home will be expected to ensure the protection of proprietary company and customer information accessible from their home office. Steps include the use of locked file cabinets and desks, regular password maintenance, and any other measures appropriate for the job and the environment. Any breaches in security protocol will lead to strict and swift disciplinary action.
Equipment/Furnishings/Office Supplies
Employees will be responsible for maintaining their home offices so that they can successfully accomplish their job responsibilities in an efficient manner.
Procedure
Telecommuting arrangements are approved by supervisors on a case by case basis. Telecommuting might not be feasible within some departments or for certain positions within a department. Employees interested in working from home should discuss the matter with their supervisors.
Telecommuting can be informal, such as working from home for a short-term project or on the road during business travel. Other informal, short-term arrangements may be made for employees on family or medical leave, to the extent practical for the employee and the organization, and with the consent of the employee's health care provider, if appropriate. All informal telecommuting arrangements are made on a case by case basis, focusing on the business needs of the organization first. Such informal arrangements are not the focus of this policy.
Other requirements/Restrictions
While working remotely, employees must adhere to all the conditions in the Employee Handbook. All company policies around conduct, confidentiality, sick leave, etc., continue to apply, regardless of location.
Disciplinary actions will follow policy transgressions of any kind.
has the right to cancel or suspend employee work-from-home privileges at any time, for any reason or for no reason. Every effort will be made to provide days' notice of such a change to accommodate commuting, childcare and other needs that may arise from such a change. There may be instances, however, where no notice is possible.
