As the normalcy of remote work becomes part of our society, we will see many changes in the acceptance of and expectation for remote work. Many organizations and employees are experiencing the benefits of working remote. According to the International WorkSpace Survey Report (2019), even before the pandemic 62% of businesses worldwide have a clearly communicated remote work policy.

During the recent pandemic when employers rapidly transitioned to remote work, they soon discovered that their existing policies did not address the specific needs and challenges experienced by remote workers. Without relevant policies, remote employees and their managers have no guidance regarding acceptable and expected behavior in the remote workplace.  

Employees and supervisors need clear, practical policies that directly address the unique conditions of the remote workplace. To ensure professionalism and productivity among your remote workforce, you will need to adapt existing company policies. In some cases, you will need to create brand new policies to support business goals. As remote work grows, it is important to consider additional trends, acceptance, and preference for a standardized and well trained remote workforce.

In WorkforceRemote.org’s Remote Control process, the first step is to develop relevant remote work policies. Below are two lessons about things to consider when developing remote work policies.  

References

The Annual IWG Global Workspace Survey. (2019). International Workplace Group.