Many of us were forced to quickly adapt to working remotely at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. However, it has taken longer than initially expected for workplaces to reopen and both employers and employees have discovered that remote work offers benefits that make it desirable in the long term. So if you are looking for tips for telecommuting or looking to formalize remote work policies, our collection of telecommuting resources and information are sure to help!
Telecommuting is a growing trend that allows employees to work remotely from home or some other location. Alternative work schedule includes options such as flextime, compressed work weeks and staggered shifts. What’s the difference?
- Telecommute (working from home, e-commuting): Employees are able to work outside the office, often from home or a location close to home.
- Flextime: Employees are able to work a set number of hours but are given flexibility on when they arrive, take lunch, and leave.
- Compressed work week: Employees work longer days but fewer days per week or payperoid. Common examples are 4 days/40 hours and 9 days/80 hours schedules.
- Staggered shift: Employees arrive and depart work at different times in shifts.
Businesses can benefit from increased worker productivity, improved job satisfaction, and increased employee morale by offering the option to telecommute or utilize an alternative work schedule, employees experience reduced stress through either a quicker or eliminated commute time. Telecommuting also reduces traffic congestion, CO2 emissions, fuel use, and saves time and money.
The option to telecommute or work an alternative work schedule also adds a competitive advantage to your business when recruiting employees, reduces demand for employee parking, and reduces employee absenteeism and unexpected departures.
Tips, Tricks, & Resources for Telecommuting Employees
While working from home offers many great benefits, such as eliminating the cost and time associated with a commute, it can also bring some challenges. Separating “home life” from your workday can be difficult as well as staying connected with coworkers when you aren’t seeing them in person. We hope that some of these resources may help:
- Remote Work Toolkit
- How to Work from Home with Your Partner Without Going Crazy
- How to Set Up a Home Office That Works For You
- Working Parents+ Support Guide
- 20 WFH Tips
- Working Remotely During COVID-19, Your Mental Health and Well-being
Tips, Tricks, & Resources for Employers
For many of us, leading and managing a remote (or partially remote) team is new and requires some new skills and tools. We have compiled an array of tips, tricks, and resources found online that we hope may help during the pandemic and beyond:
- The Complete Remote Work Playbook
- How to Create an Effective Teleworking Program
- Making the Remote Workplace Work
- Remote Work Thrival Guide
- A Guide to Managing Your (Newly) Remote Workers
- Telework Security Considerations (California example)
Sample Telecommuting Policy
Sample Telecommuting Policy (Word Document)
Sample Telecommuting Policy (PDF)
This free sample telecommuting policy was developed by CommuteSmart NH and is a great starting point for an employer looking to establish a telework program . This is a sample only and should not be used as legal advice or guidance.