WFH Policies That Work

Remote work is on the rise, and whether you’ve recently adopted some flexible work options or have an all-remote company, it’s important to have formal work policies just like you would with a more traditional office. However, managing an office versus a remote environment is completely different, and special consideration should be given when coming up with formal policies for a remote environment.

While things like team communication and productivity are key goals for any business, how to properly encourage and facilitate them in a remote environment may not seem so straightforward.

Fifteen members from Forbes Coaches Council weigh in on the remote work advice they think all company leaders ought to consider implementing when outlining their guidelines.

1. Define What Responsiveness Means

Slack, email, messenger—all the ways that you can distract a remote team. It’s important to define company-wide what expectations are around responsiveness. This is incredibly important with a remote team to allow for time to think something through, but these “rules” should be defined for everyone and communicated to the team upfront. -Maresa Friedman, Executive Cat Herder

2. Formalize Two-Way Communication

Do not leave it to the remote member of the team to initiate communication. Make communication a priority for the entire team by making it a part of performance reviews. Encourage all onsite employees to include remote workers not only for formal discussions but also casual and social discussions. Onsite workers take breaks and interact with their co-workers, and remote workers should be encouraged to do the same. – Tracy Levine, Advantage Talent, Inc.

3. Help Employees Feel Safe

People are wired to move toward pleasure or away from pain. If employees perceive that there is some threat associated with working remotely, they will resist taking advantage of flexible work options. To help them feel safe and secure, particularly during times of change or uncertainty, specify in your policy that people who work remotely will not be at a higher risk of layoff or termination. – Vered Kogan, Vered Kogan Coaching, LLC

4. Hold Regular Meetings

I worked for a former tech guru who insisted on bringing a remote style, among other management styles, to a CPG company. One of several missing elements were regular face-to-face meetings. This was before web video calls. You have to have regular meetings, especially for the remote staff, or you’re going to lose them and all your key launch dates as well. Have regular booked meetings. – Gene Russell, Manex Consulting

5. Insist On Cameras On During Meetings

Insist on keeping cameras on for remote meetings. It increases engagement, builds connection and fosters relationships. When cameras are off, people allow themselves to get distracted and attend to other things while on a call. Having the cameras on means they have to be more focused and present on the call. They can still get distracted, but can also be called out because you can see them. Cameras on make a big difference. -Daphna Horowitz, Daphna Horowitz Leadership

6. Implement Privacy Measures

I believe it is important to have privacy policies in place for those who work remotely. When people work remotely, companies must consider where the calls are taken, how physical documents are stored, and what technological devices are used remotely. Ensuring confidential information within a company remains as such is of critical importance. – Sheeba Varghese, Coach Sheeba

7. Create An Inclusive Work Allocation Policy

Disproportionate allocation of work and projects due to proximity bias can lead to an in-group/out-group dynamic that creates conflicts between remote workers and office personnel. Leaders can move beyond lip service and embody an inclusive work allocation policy by challenging assumptions, reflecting on their inner circle of “go-to” people and fully supporting remote workers’ career development. – La’Wana Harris, La’Wana Harris Inc.

8. Clearly Outline Productivity Standards

For some employers, outlining performance expectations as part of a formal remote work policy can help ensure productivity. For example, in customer service roles, a policy can help communicate management’s desire for all employees to field a certain number of calls per hour or day. This approach can help provide clear company expectations, as well as promote accountability and productivity. – Rick Gibbs, Insperity

9. Develop A Corporate Value Of Trust

Underlying every successful remote work arrangement is the fundamental value of trust. A lack of trust shows up in overly rigid policies that create a disconnect between what the company says it values and how it actually manages employee work. This lack of “walking the talk” demotivates remote workers and derails productivity. Instead, look for ways to empower rather than regulate. – Cheryl Czach, Cheryl Czach Coaching and Consulting, LLC

10. Set Up Accountability Guidelines

Working remotely is not an excuse for tardy and late responses on items that require your attention. One of the common challenges is not being able to get responses in time from decision-makers. As an organization, set guidelines on the rate of response—perhaps 24 hours for simple queries or an interim response if it’s a complex case you need more time for. – Chuen Chuen Yeo, ACEsence

11. Be Goal-Focused

If you have remote workers, have clear long-term goals with short-term milestones. This provides a clear focus for you and your team members. In addition, make it mandatory for all conversations to be via video. This creates the next best thing to being there in person. -Bobbie Goheen, Synthesis Management Group

12. Have Them Set Up a Proper Home Office

Organizations should have home office setup funding support as a part of their flexible work options policies. It can be a fixed sum—for instance, $750, that the employee can use that goes toward broadband upgrades or external monitors or ergonomic furniture. Many conference calls or online meetings have been derailed due to slow or poor broadband connections, which contributes to a loss in productivity. -Kevin Kan, Break Out Consulting Asia

13. Encourage Breaks Together

It’s easy for organizations implementing remote work to focus on meetings and accountabilities. But one of the most important things remote workers need is a sense of community. By encouraging workers to use video chats for breaks and lunches together, you can help them stay connected. These connections build trust and teamwork, which makes work more productive—and fun! – Kate Dixon, Dixon Consulting

14. Track Time In 15-Minute Increments

Lawyers and many consultants do this as standard practice, but tracking your time in 15-minute increments forces people to think about the value they are delivering in every minute of their time. Certainly, some things take hours, days or even weeks to bring to completion, but the incremental value is being delivered along the way. It doubles as a way to communicate progress and what’s next. – April Armstrong, AHA Insight

15. Encourage Use Of Live Personal Bios

As humans (and tribal beings), we have an innate instinct for social interaction. In this, it’s critical for us to “see” and to “know” our fellow tribe members. Live personal bios are a great way to simulate this across remote teams. Otherwise, we risk perceiving other team members as faceless sources of communication and compromising performance via lack of engagement. – Corey Castillo, Truth & Spears

What are your thoughts and tips for WFM? Let us know

This article was first published on Forbes.com on 16 April  2020

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