Working from home, a lot of employees would do anything to be able to work from home. Most employers have doubts about it and are not convinced of its advantages. However, with the right strategy, the new way of working can bring benefits for both employees and employers.
Why consider working from home?
Working from home offers many benefits for companies that are brave enough to take this step. Most studies show an improvement in the employees’ productivity and increased job satisfaction after they start to work from home.
For employees, stay at home jobs can save time and money. Companies that implement working at home also contribute to the environment, because they ensure that fewer cars are on the road.
The first step to the new way of working
The first step you could take is to put down on paper the reasons why your company is considering the new way of working. Then consider the more practical matters:
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- Which employees and functions are most suitable for working from home?
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- What consequences will this have for the daily management?
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- How many days a week can employees work from home?
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- On which days should everyone be present for team meetings?
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- How do you keep employees involved with the company?
- What consequences does this have for (ICT) security?
Who can work from home?
The careful selection of employees who get to work from home is the first step towards success. The function of the employees is of course of great importance. Some functions are not suitable because they require constant supervision, or because presence in the office is necessary. You must also take into account health and safety rules, a home workplace must comply with the same rules. Only remote jobs are suitable for employees with disciplines.
Other matters that you must take into account are how long an employee is employed and how he performs, his self-discipline, any (disciplinary) problems from the past and ability to solve problems. It is advisable to check per employee whether they are suitable for working at home.
Set up policies for the new way of working
It is wise to draw up an agreement about working from home so that employees know what is expected of them when teleworking. This must clearly state that working from home is a privilege, and not self-evident. In the beginning, employees should only work at home for one or two days, and possibly later change to a higher number of days, based on the performance of the employees.
Eventually it is all about taking risks and believing in your employees’ working abilities. It may be a big step, but it is definitely worth it for most companies.
