How to Create a Remote Work Policy for Your Small Business

Speak with any team lead or manager, and their reactions stay the same. A new hire sets their own remote work hours. Another employee sends confidential company files using their personal email address. These complaints can become endless without a remote work policy in place. Most of the time, remote employees are unaware of their responsibilities because there is no official document outlining boundaries.

A remote work policy bridges this gap, covering the work norms for small and large-scale remote teams. It does not need to be a large legal document. Outlining remote work expectations in plain language, spanning two to three pages, will do.

This guide covers what a remote work policy is, what to include, and how to write and roll it out.

What are Remote Work Guidelines?

A remote work policy covers the do's and don'ts for employees working from home, including:

• Working arrangements for performing duties outside the office
• The timeline employees must be available for teamwork
• The type of communication tools that are allowed
• Cybersecurity guidelines
• Work responsibilities for each role

This document is also referred to as the work-from-home policy in organizations that embrace remote work on a massive scale.

Recently, there has been a surge in employees wanting to work remotely (98%) at least part of the time, with many saying it enhances flexibility. The lack of a policy document leads to poor communication, forcing HR to address repetitive employee questions. For smaller organizations looking to recruit more remote-friendly workers, a transparent remote work policy signals trust.

What to Include in Your Remote Work Policy Document?

The details of remote work guidelines will depend on your industry and company size. However, there are generally four pillars that apply to any remote work policy.

1. Employee Eligibility and Work Arrangements

A remote work agreement usually specifies which roles are eligible for working remotely. For example, full-time employees, contractors, or freelancers.

Once you've outlined that, specify:

• If the role will be fully remote or hybrid.
• The general approval process, such as a written request or a manager's sign-off.

This document helps new hires understand their rights and responsibilities. It's better to hold on to this even though you currently work with remote employees.

2. Employee Working Hours & Availability

Define how long remote employees must be available for collaboration. For example, 10 am - 4 pm in an acceptable timezone reference.

Next, get into the details of remote work hours, such as:

• The normal response time window. An employee responds within 2 hours on Slack or within 24 hours via email.
• Mention the common timezone used for meetings. This keeps the entire team aligned, regardless of where they live.

Outline only the minimum requirements to provide breathing room for your employees.

3. Communication & Collaboration Tools

53% of remote workers say working from home makes it harder to feel connected with colleagues. When team members are able to stay in the loop using common digital tools, it fosters a sense of togetherness.

It's important that you:

• Assign a tool for every area of work. For instance, Slack or Teams for async communication. Zoom and Google Meet for video conferences. And Asana or Notion for project management.
• Define the meeting timings and the situations that could demand one. It could be an interpersonal check-in with the manager or leaving messages for non-urgent topics.
• Write a policy for after-hours communication for non-urgent matters.
• Finally, make a list of the approved digital tools that are to be used in a business setting.

4. Data Security

While remote work has greater flexibility, it also comes with cybersecurity challenges. In many companies, 73% of C-suite IT leaders believe remote workers pose a higher security risk than on-site employees.

It's why including cybersecurity information such as the following becomes vital:

• Whether the company provides any devices or the employee uses their own. Also note who bears the cost for the repairs, if any.
• Include the type of reimbursements, like wifi bills, one-time office setup allowance, etc.
• Highlight VPN rules, 2FA on company accounts, and approved cloud storage.

Close to 93% of organizations have established security rules for remote workers. A formal policy strengthens the existing setup and eliminates future threats.

How to Create a Remote Work Policy

Eligibility, security, and work arrangements are non-negotiables in the policy. With that, you also want to tell employees what happens when they don't meet these criteria. Include a small section on the consequences of non-compliance, like warnings, pay reductions, or, in worst cases, termination. A remote work policy template can help update rules without having to draft regulations from the start. Various HR platforms like HubStaff and Workable offer free downloadable versions, where you can customize specifics.

Share the policy with two to three team members first to understand the gaps. Add the version number to each one so employees know which is current. Finally, keep the policy free of legal terms, unless it has been verified by a lawyer.

Finalizing Remote Work Agreement

Export the draft as a PDF file. This step locks and preserves formatting before sharing it company-wide. Changes to the document usually go through a new version and are not modified in the shared file.

If you have policies with multiple NDAs, they can be merged into a single document.

Make sure every employee has read through the policy by asking them to sign it. DocuSign, PDFAid, and Adobe Sign help team members digitally sign PDF files without having to print them.

It's also required that the employees have access to these signed documents. Organize them by employee name and store them in a shared company folder. Whenever the policy is updated, remember to archive the older ones.

The Remote Work Policy Best Practices Checklist

We've summed up everything you need to remember while creating a remote work policy:

• Inform employees about the policy.
• Send the final PDF version at least two weeks before the policy takes effect.
• Revisit the policy after major changes such as new compliance requirements or the addition of new team members from different time zones.
• Set a review schedule to keep the policy up-to-date at all times.

Setting clear expectations can save you and your employees from uncertainties in the workplace. There are various remote work policy examples to draw inspiration from. Many C-suite leaders believe remote work makes it simpler to collaborate with a global talent pool and keep operational costs low.

A Remote Work Policy is Here to Stay

As more and more organizations embrace remote work, a well-drafted policy protects employees and employers from unwarranted trouble. The best part is that you can reuse the existing templates or customize some from online HR platforms.

With the right intention and tools, companies can hire globally, not worry about added overhead expenses, and scale more quickly if strategized well.