Policy Brief & Purpose
We designed our work-from-home policy to make sure that working from home is beneficial to our employees and the company.
Scope
This company work-from-home policy applies to all our employees who prefer working from home.
Are Employees Allowed To Work From Home?
Employees are allowed to work from home only if their job duties permit it. For example, people who are obliged to come in direct physical contact with customers are not eligible to telecommute under this policy. But, employees who carry out most of their work on a computer can occasionally work off-site.
Policy Elements
Employees work from home or telecommute when they complete their work at a place located outside of our company’s premises. They may work from home:
- Full-time
- On certain days
- Every day, dividing their schedule between being present at the office and working from a remote location.
Work-from-home arrangements can be occasional, temporary or permanent.
Reasons that could demand telecommuting include but are not limited to:
- Parenting
- Bad weather
- Emergencies
- Medical reasons
- Work-life balance
- Overlong commute
Other reasons for working from home depend on the employees’ and managers’ judgement.
How to Determine Whether an Employee Can Work From Home
We advise both employees and managers to consider these elements before asking/approving work from home:
- Is the employee eligible by the nature of their job?
- Are there any cybersecurity and data privacy concerns?
- Will collaboration with the employee’s team become difficult?
- Do employees have the necessary equipment or software installed at home?
- What are the conditions of the employee’s home or alternative place of work (noise, internet connection, etc. )
Requesting Work from Home Procedure
When employees plan to work from home, this procedure must be followed:
- Employees file a request through email or a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) at least two days in advance.
- Their managers must approve their request considering all elements we mentioned above.
- If the work-from-home arrangement spans for more than a week, managers and team members should meet to discuss details and set specific goals, schedules and deadlines.
Employees who need to work from home for unforeseen reasons (e.g. illness or temporary difficult commute) should file their request as soon as possible, so managers can consider and approve it.
Time Zone Difference
Sometimes, managers and their team members are in a different time zone. When employees need to work from home for unforeseen reasons, they may not be able to get their requests approved in time. In this case, they may stay to work from home and notify the HR department. We advise employees to check in with their managers as soon as their manager clocks in.
Compensation and Benefits
Usually, work-from-home arrangements don’t affect employees’ employment terms. If working from home has any effect on compensation and benefits, then HR is responsible to create a new contract.
