- Remote Work can either be working from a location/office space that is not an official office for a firm or a [[Work From Home]] arrangement - Coworking spaces offer the ability to support remote workers without having to deal with the WFH overhead. Or to provide additional amenities above WFH - Coworking firms include - [[WeWork]] - [[Spaces]] - [[Galvanize]] - Blog posts, articles, etc about remote work - https://stackoverflow.blog/2017/09/29/making-remote-work-behind-scenes - Sample remote work policy: https://remote.co/sample-remote-work-policy-for-employers - Legal points to think about: https://www.hrmorning.com/articles/drafting-remote-work-policy-5-legal-pitfalls - NIH Remote Work policy: https://hr.nih.gov/working-nih/work-schedules/remote-work - NIH draws a distinction between Remote Work and [[Telework]] - Remote Work: employee permanently works from an alternative worksite - Telework: employee works from home on a regular or ad hoc basis but reports to the office at least once a week/two days a pay period - [The PDF Guide is great](https://hr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/public/documents/working-nih/work-schedules/remote-work/pdf/nih-remote-work-guide.pdf) - [NIH When Remote Work Doesn’t Work](https://hr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/public/documents/working-nih/work-schedules/remote-work/pdf/nih-when-remote-work-doesnt-work-fact-sheet.pdf) - [NIH Remote Office Evaluation Form](https://hr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/public/documents/working-nih/work-schedules/remote-work/docx/nih-remote-office-evaluation-form.docx) - Policy Guidelines - Require minimum “tenure”, eg 60 days - Require daycare for children - > __Daycare:__ If you have children at home who depend on you for care, you must have adequate child care for them. Our policies are not intended to allow for you to be watching your child(ren) while simultaneously working. - Have a schedule defined, any deviations must be communicated to a direct manager - Remote worker must be available on the company communication platform in a similar expectation to in office work - For non-salary employees, make sure legal has input - Keep an eye out for Descrimination/Disability-related issues - **2**. **Discrimination/Disability-related issues.** Remote workers can easily become “out of sight, out of mind” employees. But this undesirable management habit can have serious fallout. - For example, say your remote workers are primarily women caring for their children and disabled employees who need to work from home as their ADA accommodation. - If you don’t offer these remote workers the same support and opportunities for advancement as your in-office workers, you could be faced with sex discrimination and disability discrimination lawsuits. - To avoid this, your policy should discuss remote workers’ right to training, promotions and visibility. - Remember that health and safety standards still apply when working remote - Remote work policies also cover when worksites are closed - Have a method of measuring productivity - Have a plan understood for when a remote work arrangement __does not work__ - NIH Remote Work Guide - Supervisory Considerations for Remote Work - General - Can the employee’s set of job duties be accomplished remotely? - Has the employee demonstrated that they are able to work independently with little supervisory oversight? - Does the employee meet any IC/Office minimum PMAP criteria for remote work eligibility? - What tools are available to help the employee manage their workload/deadlines? - How will the employee be kept informed about office policies and procedures? - Will you be able to ensure the employee is provided with a consistent workload, and does not miss out on assignments or opportunities due to being out of sight? - Have you discussed with the employee your expectations for this arrangement, and what will happen if this arrangement does not work out? - How many remote work arrangements can be accommodated in the work unit? - Are you applying the remote work standards across the organization in ways that are consistent and based on clear standards and guidelines? - Have you discussed how the employee should contact you in case of an emergency? - Work Schedule - What hours of work does the employee anticipate keeping? - Are there specific hours when he/she must be available (i.e. time zone considerations)? - How should the employee communicate any changes in their schedule to you? - How would the employee inform colleagues and customers about how to reach them? - What are your expectations for their participation in meetings? - Have you established a schedule of regular meetings to check-in? - Technology - What technology will be needed to ensure the remote worker can fully participate in meetings and other office activities? - Will the employee need administrative rights to any databases? Should any existing rights be terminated? - How will security needs be met remotely? - Can you ensure meeting materials are provided in advance on a regular basis? - Other Considerations - Will the IC/O or employee pay for phone and/or internet service? - What supplies will the employee need and how will they be provided? - Are there financial impacts, such as travel costs? Note that local travel would be based on the remote duty location, and per diem and other expenses would only apply when the employee traveled outside of their new commuting area – i.e. to the primary office. - Are there other hidden financial costs, such as shipping work materials to and from the employee’s remote duty station? - Employee Considerations for Remote Work - General Remote Work Considerations - Are you comfortable monitoring your productivity and ensuring deadlines are met? - How do you feel about attending meetings when you are not physically present? - How will you take the initiative to remain involved in office activities? - Have your researched how a remote work arrangement could potentially impact your pay and/or benefits? - Remote Work Environment - Can you create an environment that will allow you to focus on work and minimize personal distractions? - Will you be able to maintain personal and professional boundaries when your home is also your workplace? - Will you maintain a professional appearance while working remotely? - If applicable, do you have adequate dependent care? - Have you discussed how often, if at all, you will be able to travel back to your work unit’s primary worksite? How will you feel if your travel is limited to once or twice per year? - Work Schedule - How will you uphold your scheduled tour of duty, ensuring you are not working less or more? - Are you willing to shift your hours of work to be available during normal business hours, if your remote work location is in a different time zone? - Technology - Are you comfortable using various forms of technology to remain connected? - Can you obtain a reliable, high-speed internet connection? - Will you ask for a remote connection if one is not offered for a meeting? - Are you comfortable talking on the phone or through a video call for extended periods of time, on a regular basis? - How would you deal with technology failures, such as poor phone connections or VPN issues? - Miscellaneous - Do you have concerns about showing others that remote work is effective? If so, how - Do you have training needs that will not be able to be accommodated remotely? do you plan to overcome this? - If applicable, have you addressed any concerns about how a remote arrangement could potentially affect career development and/or advancement opportunities? - Do you fully understand your supervisor's expectations, and what will happen if the arrangement does not work out? - Are you prepared to maintain and build customer relationships as a remote worker?