Remote Work Policies: Best Practices for Compliance and Productivity

Did you know that an estimated 19.5% of workers in the United States work remotely? The adaptation and implementation of remote work has become a challenge for human resources departments across the United States and many departments have had to refocus efforts to ensure that businesses are productive and compliant with labor laws in the remote work era. Cahue Enterprises HR Consulting is here to provide human resources teams with the information they need to adapt to these changes in the workplace with an overview of remote work policies that include best practices for compliance and productivity.

How To Create a Remote Work Policy

More than 70% of employees are drawn to remote and hybrid work policies — which require specific and detailed HR policies to ensure compliance and productivity. Remote work provides a wealth of benefits for the workforce that include less stress, improved productivity, a better work-life balance, and better physical and mental health. A quality work-from-home policy has the potential to benefit businesses and employees.

What Does a Remote Work Policy Need?

When your HR department approaches a remote work policy, there are four key aspects that you need to consider when you draw up the policy. Here is a better look at the key elements of a remote work policy that you need to pay attention to.

1. Clear Expectations — The number one element of a remote work policy is to set clear expectations both for employees and the business. The policy needs to include a purpose, work-from-home eligibility requirements, approval processes, a work schedule, performance parameters, and communication expectations.
2. Adaptability — Your work-from-home policy needs to be an adaptation and continuation of your current HR policy with clear expectations for remote employees and your management team that mirror the needs of the company.
3. Legal Compliance — Labor and tax laws have changed with the increase in remote work, making it even more important for HR departments to pay close attention to compliance when drafting policies.
4. Hiring and Termination Policies — Hiring and termination represent key elements of any HR policy and employee handbook. These aspects must be included in your policy to prevent any issues hiring new employees and terminating current employees.

Best Practices for Remote Work Compliance

Compliance with local employment laws is a key element of human resources and it is even more important when you have a remote workforce. When your team works from home, you may have to make adjustments to your company policies to accommodate remote work and avoid compliance issues. Here is a short list of best practices for remote work compliance. 

• Employ payroll and timekeeping software to avoid wage and hour compliance issues.
• Keep accurate records of employee addresses and locations for remote workers in different locations to ensure you meet minimum wage requirements in those states.
• OSHA regulations include remote employee environments and it is important to make sure employees have a healthy and safe work environment.
• Ensure that when you employ remote workers in multiple states or countries that local employment laws are followed in each individual location.
• Enact virtual behavior standards and ethics in policies to ensure remote employees are not subject to harassment and discrimination.
• Define remote employee policies clearly to include the type of work, employee classification, and location to avoid discrimination.

Best Practices for Remote Work Productivity

Many companies fear that with a remote team, they will sacrifice productivity — well it may not be true. A study at Stanford University determined that remote employees are 13% more productive than in-office employees — but it is still important to incorporate policies in your employee handbook that promote productivity. Here is a short list of the best practices for remote work productivity.

• Provide the right tools and software to keep employees connected and in contact with management and HR teams.
• Create clear expectations for remote employees and management teams with clearly defined communication channels to resolve issues.
• Promote regular check-ins between remote team members, managers, and human resources personnel to check on employee health, well-being, and productivity.
• Set clear goals for remote employees to reach daily, weekly, or monthly with performance management programs that can help employees and managers track progress.
• Provide tools, training, and resources in a convenient online location to help employees succeed and stay focused on goals.
• Focus on results rather than time spent on specific tasks or projects.

READ MORE: Top 10 HR Trends Your Business Needs to Know for 2024

Is your company hiring more and more remote employees to work from home or on a hybrid schedule? HR professionals may need to adapt their policies to a remote workforce and Cahue Enterprises HR Consulting, Inc. is here to help with an overview of remote work policy best practices for compliance and productivity.

Contact Cahue Enterprises today to schedule a consultation for your HR department!