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Take a Quick TourWhat started as a pandemic-enforced shift has become standard practice: Fully remote and partly remote working are here to stay. According to Upwork, 32.6 million Americans will work remotely by 2025. While many employers adapted on the hoof, it’s now clear that having a formal remote work policy is not just good practice, it’s a necessity for long-term success.
Remote work policies provide employees with clear expectations and guidelines, ensuring that both employer and worker are aligned. A well-crafted telecommuting policy outlines expectations, performance metrics, legal considerations, and available support. It also safeguards company assets and data by ensuring remote employees understand productivity standards and cybersecurity risks.
This post is essential reading for any business looking to formalize flexible working arrangements. We’ll guide you through the entire process in six actionable steps, including a customizable remote work policy template you can adapt to your organization’s needs.
What Is A Work From Home Policy?
A work-from-home policy is a formal remote work agreement between employer and employee. It removes ambiguity by setting clear expectations and responsibilities for both sides.
Here are the key elements to include in your remote work agreement:
- Eligibility: Who can work remotely and under what conditions
- Communication guidelines
- Work hours and availability expectations
- IT support and troubleshooting processes
- Required equipment and software for remote productivity
- Cybersecurity protocols and data handling
- Home office support such as reimbursements or stipends
- Productivity expectations and performance monitoring
Remote Work Policy Benefits
If you’ve been operating informally since the pandemic, now is the time to formalize remote work policies. The primary benefit? Clear expectations. A structured policy minimizes miscommunication, enhances productivity, and protects your business from legal and operational risks.
Benefits For Employers
A robust remote work policy template enables businesses to manage risk, ensure employee accountability, and maintain operational consistency, even in a distributed environment.
It also reduces the chance of cybersecurity breaches by enforcing security best practices. Furthermore, offering remote work makes your company more attractive to job seekers. According to Buffer, 98% of employees want the option to work remotely at least part of the time.
Other advantages include cost savings on office space, improved employee mental health, and a larger recruitment pool across geographic regions.
Benefits For Remote Employees
The benefits of working remotely for employees include no commuting, better work-life balance, and more flexibility in how they work.
A formal policy also removes guesswork. Employees know what’s expected of them, how to access support, and what resources are available, from equipment to internet stipends. The result? A more empowered and productive workforce.
What Should Be Included in Your Remote Work Policy?
Let’s break down the key components of an effective work-from-home policy, which you should also incorporate into your employee handbook for easy access.
Step 1: Outline The Objectives
Start with a clear statement of purpose. Explain why the policy exists and who it applies to. Define what remote work means for your organization. Are you fully remote, hybrid, or flexible? Clarifying this upfront sets the foundation for everything that follows.
Step 2: Eligible Positions And Employees
Not every job can be done remotely. Use this section to outline eligibility criteria. Will new hires qualify? Do employees need to meet a tenure requirement? Clarify expectations for roles that require on-site presence due to security or operational needs.
Additionally, specify the technical requirements, such as internet speed, device type, and software, needed for a successful remote setup.
Step 3: Remote Work Expectations
This is where you define working norms for remote employees. Setting expectations in advance improves accountability and avoids confusion.
Availability And Responsiveness
Clearly outline when remote workers must be available. For instance, require an 8-hour workday within a 7am–7pm window, with core hours from 10am–2pm. Set standards for response times to emails or internal chats, taking time zones into account.
Communications
Define your preferred tools: email, instant messaging, and video conferencing platforms. Outline what situations require which form of communication. For instance, quick questions go via IM, while detailed discussions happen via video.
Social Relationships And Reducing Isolation
Remote worker isolation is a real issue. According to Zippia, 70% of remote employees feel left out. Mitigate this by scheduling virtual coffee chats, watercooler moments, or company-wide Zoom socials. Explore best practices in our post on water cooler talks.
Support With Technical Difficulties
List the IT support channels available to remote workers, such as a dedicated help desk or external vendors. Include backup processes, scheduled software updates, and procedures for recovering lost data.
Step 4: Security
Cybersecurity risks increase with remote access. Use this section to define your company’s data protection policies. Encourage best practices like avoiding public Wi-Fi, using secure VPNs, implementing multi-factor authentication, and locking screens when not in use.
Step 5: Remote Tools, Equipment And Supplies
Specify what equipment the company will provide, from laptops to collaboration software. Clarify whether you’ll reimburse employees for expenses like internet and electricity. Transparency here prevents misunderstandings and keeps everyone on the same page.
Step 6: Requesting Work From Home Arrangements – The Approvals Process
Finally, lay out the steps employees need to follow to request remote work. Typically, this includes a written request, a discussion with a manager, and a formal agreement. Customize the process based on your organization’s needs, and ensure each agreement includes specific expectations for both sides.
Work From Home Policy PDF
You can use the following sample remote work policy to create an agreement relevant to your business purposes. The policy template is available to download as a PDF.
Remote Work Policy For [Insert Company Name]
Policy effective date: [Insert date]
Objectives
This work-from-home policy describes guidelines and procedures for employees working remotely, either fully or partially. It applies to any employee working from a location outside the normal workplace.
Scope
Remote work may be a permanent or temporary arrangement. And it allows employees to perform their duties all or some of the time from a different location.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for remote working, an employee must:
- Have reliable internet access
- Demonstrate the capability to perform job duties with minimal supervision. You must also possess strong time management and organizational abilities.
- Have a tenure of [insert applicable period] with the company.* Note: this criteria is optional
Position Eligibility
Employees are eligible for remote work if their job can be satisfactorily performed remotely. Roles requiring in-person interaction with customers or others may not qualify because of the nature of the tasks and business needs.
Expectations For Remote Employees
When working from home, remote employees are expected to meet the following requirements:
- Employees will perform the same tasks and assignments as they would in the office
- Remote workers must meet all deadlines, maintain high-quality standards, and report daily to their line manager on performance and tasks completed.
- The line manager will agree on the number of remote work days per week and working hours. [Insert any expectation around work overtime if appropriate]
- Remote workers are expected to be available between [insert core hours] for collaborations with coworkers and team meetings
- Employees working from home are required to use our preferred communication channels. [Insert details, a brief description of when to use each platform, and your response times]
- Remote employees should consider occupational safety and health in their home workspaces. Employees must have their home office approved by the line manager to ensure it meets best practice standards.
- Work-from-home employees must comply with all company policies. They still receive all company benefits, including health insurance and worker compensation.
Security Measures
Securing company data and customer information is a priority. Staff who work from home must use a virtual private network for secure encrypted connections. They should follow company cybersecurity guidelines and install anti-virus software. Virtual private networks must be secured with robust and frequently changed passwords.
Remote workers should not use public WiFi for work purposes. They must keep work laptops or devices private from family members.
Any confidential documents must be kept in a locked filing cabinet.
Equipment And Work From Home Expenses
[When it comes to equipment, choose from the following two options:]
- The company will provide remote employees with the following equipment: [list any equipment such as laptops, mobile devices, headsets, and printers]. Equipment owned by [insert company name] may only be used for work purposes.
- The company will reimburse remote employees for tools and equipment essential to their work. [List the equipment and tools]. Employees must request reimbursement from their line manager. The work-from-home policy also allows staff to use their personal electronic devices for work with the line manager’s written approval.
[Regarding home office expenses, select from the following two options:]
- The company is not responsible for work-from-home expenses, including electricity, heat, internet, and phone services.
- The company provides an allowance of [insert details] for home office-related expenses.
Technical Support
Work-from-home team members can access tech support [insert details, for example, 24/7, 9 to 5]. Remote employees can get help by contacting [insert details like call a help desk, submit an IM, send an email].
Social Relationships
[Insert company name] recognizes that remote work can be isolating. We will take steps to support social relationships for remote employees with regular team meetings, virtual get-togethers, and online social events. Workers are also encouraged to use the #timeout channel on team chat to connect with colleagues informally.
Approvals Process
Remote work arrangements are approved case-by-case. Requests should made in writing to the line manager. Approval decisions are final.
Informal work-from-home arrangements can be made for short-term projects or special requests like caring for a sick relative or child. The line manager must agree to these casual arrangements.
[Insert company name] reserves the right to withdraw work-from-home arrangements at anytime.
Contact
If you want more information or to discuss the remote work policy, please contact [insert name and details].
Work From Home Policy Template: Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt that remote work is here to stay. A clear and formal work-from-home policy is essential to safeguard your company’s interests and promote a productive, secure, and flexible work environment.
When responsibilities are clearly outlined for both employees and employers, it reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings and helps ensure accountability. It also sets expectations around communication, performance, and data security.
In short, it’s a win-win. Workers benefit from increased flexibility, better work-life balance, and the ability to eliminate stressful daily commutes. Employers, meanwhile, enjoy reduced overhead costs, higher employee satisfaction, and improved productivity. A remote-friendly culture also expands your talent pool and enhances recruitment and retention.
Use our customizable work-from-home policy template as a foundation to create your own agreement tailored to the modern hybrid or fully remote workplace.
About MyHub
MyHub is a leading provider of cloud-based intranet solutions that support remote and hybrid teams across the globe. Our all-in-one platform gives your business the tools it needs for seamless remote collaboration, from communication and document sharing to project management and engagement tools,all under one virtual roof.
Explore how MyHub can support your organization’s remote work strategy with a free personalized demo or kick the tires with a no-obligation 14-day trial.
FAQ Section
Why do I need a written work-from-home policy?
A formal policy ensures both employees and employers are aligned on remote work expectations, performance standards, security responsibilities, and support—reducing miscommunication and maintaining productivity.
What key sections should my policy include?
Your policy should define the policy’s scope and goals; eligibility criteria; work hours and communication standards; cybersecurity requirements; equipment and expense provisions; and managerial approval processes.
How does a WFH policy benefit employees and the company?
Employees enjoy clear guidelines, support for workspace setup, and financial clarity. Companies maintain data security, efficient remote operations, cost savings, and enhanced recruitment and retention.
