Want to Make a Perfect Remote Work Plan? Here are the Ways!

No matter what, one thing Covid-19 has revolutionized so far, replacing the traditional workplaces operating in physical offices with virtual working platforms with remote teams. With the increasing popularity of the remote work model, team managers and project leads require developing a productive remote work plan for their employees who work at home. They want to know how a perfect remote work plan looks like with all essential elements. This article talks about the same, and also gives you a free remote work plan template that you can download to start instantly.

Remote Work Policy Template – A Sample

The standard remote work policy template includes the following elements:

• Company Goals

It highlights the guidelines remote employees need to follow to meet company strategic goals.

• Scope

This section defines whether remote working or teleworking is a temporary or permanent mode of work for the employee. If it is temporary, it mentions the duration.

• Remote Working Contract

Employees wishing to opt for remote working can apply for the same at the HR department of the company. The HR team will evaluate and decide the eligibility, prepare a remote working contract and send the same to the employee. The contract also includes the policies to follow, benefits, company culture, and roles and responsibilities of the employee. Employees who just became parents or are faced with any disability can have a mutual agreement with their direct management and HR department to extend their remote working contract.

• The Guidelines

The guidelines, with some examples given below, must be there to ensure that remote work structure enhances the employees’ performance.

1. Employees must have an uninterrupted internet access
2. They must work from a quiet and distraction-free space.
3. They must make their daily and weekly timelines to focus on their duties
4. Abide by the attendance and breaks policies as prescribed by their manager
5. Their working hours should be the same as those of employees working in-office for effective collaboration
6. They must conduct in-person or online meetings with their colleagues and managers to be updated about the progress and outcomes

• Adherence to Policies

Some of the remote work policies include:

1. code of conduct of the employees
2. Attendance
3. Dress code
4. Confidentiality
5. Data protection
6. Anti-discrimination
7. Compensation and benefits
8. Internet usage
9. computer usage
10. Cell phone usage

• Equipment

The equipment issued to the remote employee includes a laptop, cell phone, and headset. The software elements include VPN and Company’s ERP It is to be noted that the remote work plan template is only a company internal document and doesn't hold any legal obligations.

• About Remote Work Plan

It is the document that defines the remote work plan in a clear and user-friendly language. Its elements include remote employees' responsibilities, technical knowledge, expected challenges, and practical solutions.

Creating a Remote Work Plan

1. Make Clear Rules

Though remote work can result in increased productivity, we cannot still ignore the odds of employees diverting from work. Hence, always mention the clear rules in a remote work policy so that the remote team remains focused all through the work timings.

For instance, your colleagues – can log in at diverse times, which might disturb the workflow. This can be avoided by implementing a defined time log in time for all employees.

2. Focus Employee Eligibility

You cannot give remote working privileges to all employees as some can misuse this facility by not logging in as per defined time, not working properly during working hours, etc. You should think of their job nature. For instance, a sales agent doesn't need to work remotely as most of his work is outdoors.

Furthermore, before the remote work proposal, check if the employees have:

• Good communication skills.
• Independently working acumen
• Time management ability

3. Help Employees

The remote employees should work in a way that they don’t disturb the company’s overall workflow, customer satisfaction, and team performance.

For instance, HR recruiters who hire employees might find it problematic to work from home since they are not able to have one-on-one meetings. The remote job plan for them may include online assessments, video calls, and telephonic assessments to carry on their remote hiring procedure.

4. Give the Right Technology & Tools

Employees surely need equipment, such as laptops or desktops and an internet connection, while working remotely. They might also need a VPN or internet security software for keeping information safe. It is recommended to provide some communication tools such as Slack so that all employees can work collaboratively in real-time. The plan should also include a video conferencing system such as Google Chat.

And more importantly, you must have a time tracking software like Time Doctor to keep a track of remote employees’ work starting and end timing.

About Time Doctor

Time Doctor is an all-inclusive employee time tracking and productivity management tool that many businesses of all sizes; from Keller Williams to Thrive Market, are using to enhance their remote staff’s productivity.

Its main features include:

1. Time tracking of each project or task
2. Detailed reports that help assess employee productivity
3. Screencasts to ensure actual working
4. Work schedules that compel employees to log in their work hours
5. Payroll integration with Wise, Paypal, etc. for easy and quick payment to employees

5. Make a Remote Work Schedule

Create task lists around which employees can make their flexible schedule to balance their personal lives. They may also make a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule that you can easily review.

6. Compensation and Benefits

Offer remote employees with additional bonuses and benefits.

7. Take care of Employees’ Legal Rights

Take care of legal rights that include payment for overtime.

8. Consider Health & Wellness Benefits

Remote work becomes stressful sometimes because of distractions, domestic responsibilities, and not easy collaboration with distributed team members.
Your remote work policy should prioritize the employees’ health and well-being by making remote work convenient. You may schedule breaks, quick chats, as well as informal team meetings that help team members maintain their physical and mental health.

Quick Tips for a Perfect Remote Work Plan

1. Smoothen your Team Collaboration framework by using collaboration tools
2. Enhance employee engagement with rewards, benefits, and constant observation and meetings
3. Being empathetic towards their needs and limitations

Final Thoughts Creating a perfect remote work plan is not the end of the story. You must include the right work tools such as Time Doctor; our top recommendation for employees' time tracking and increasing productivity.