When Employees Want to Telecommute

When Employees Want to Telecommute

Provided by the career experts at Robert Half Management Resources

Ever since “telecommuting” became part of the business vocabulary more than a dozen years ago, it’s been an increasingly popular option for employees who want to spend less time in route to and from the office or who want to strike a better balance between their work and home lives. In fact, it seems like telecommuting appears to be a trend that’s here to stay. According to a recent issue of Futurist magazine, more than 100 million people worldwide are expected to telecommute by 2015.

But can telecommuting be as beneficial for businesses as it is appealing for workers? The answer is yes – if your company approaches it with the same forethought and careful planning that you would use for any other employee work policy.

Fashionable Versus Feasible

Despite the growing popularity of telecommuting, each organization must determine whether this is an appropriate option for its workforce. The nature of your business and the composition of your staff are the main factors to consider. Certain positions – those requiring face-to-face client service, for example, are not conducive to working remotely. It would be difficult to operate a retail clothing store if your sales clerks were unavailable to directly assist customers. On the other hand, the productivity of employees in many other types of jobs may be unaffected – or even enhanced – by telecommuting, allowing them fewer interruptions and more time to concentrate on core responsibilities.

You may decide that telecommuting is appropriate for select members of your staff after conducting a cost-benefit analysis. Telecommuting does involve certain trade-offs and these must be factored into your plan. If your business is growing, for instance, you may decide that by allowing some employees to telecommute, you’ll be able to remain in your current office space and save the cost of having to lease a larger facility. Of course, if you choose to furnish telecommuters with equipment or office supplies, you will incur expenses.

Develop a Formal Policy

Telecommuting arrangements will go more smoothly if you establish a detailed policy upfront. Your policy should answer the following questions:

Scope. Would your program entail employees working offsite full-time, several days a week or once in a while on an ad hoc basis?
Eligibility. This should be based on objective, quantifiable criteria such as type of position, level of direct supervision required, employee tenure and job performance. Of course, certain employees such as facility administrators, receptionists and temporary employees will not be eligible. Include a proviso that an individual employee’s degree of autonomy and maturity is at management’s discretion.
Schedule. Make sure telecommuters are clear about your expectations about their schedule and availability. Should they be available during standard office hours? Should they be accessible evenings and weekends during critical stages of a project?
Communication. Will telecommuters stay in touch with the office primarily by phone or e-mail? How frequently should they check in during the business day? Should they be required to carry a cell phone or pager if they’ll be away from their home office during business hours?
Equipment. Will computers and basic supplies be provided? Will the employee be reimbursed for expenses relating to long-distance calls, Internet charges and the purchase of office supplies?
Confidentiality and security. How will you handle transmission of proprietary information? Will the telecommuter have a computer with secure access to the company intranet or sensitive files?
Evaluation. Because a manager cannot directly observe an offsite employee’s work habits, establish clear performance guidelines and expectations.
Termination of the arrangement. Establish a procedure for ending a telecommuting arrangement, including the return of company equipment and intellectual property.

Once you’ve developed a formal policy, it’s a good idea to have an employment lawyer (or the company’s legal department) review the document. You should also determine if telecommuters are covered under your company’s insurance.

Making Telecommuting Work

Because not all employees will be permitted to telecommute, it’s important to anticipate and address concerns about fairness before they arise and cause resentment and dissention. Explain the telecommuting policy to all employees, emphasizing that consistent, objective criteria will be applied to every request. Make it clear that all positions will receive equal consideration, but that some will prove appropriate for telecommuting while others will not. You may want to set up a process whereby telecommuting requests must be made in writing and evaluated by a committee of managers.

Once selected members of your staff begin telecommuting, you’ll need to come up with a substitute for the spontaneous communication and interaction that typically occur when everyone works in the same office. Departmental and company wide e-mail messages are the ideal way to keep all team members “in the loop” about new developments or special events, such as staff outings or celebrations, and prevent the out-of-sight, out-of-mind isolation that often comes with working offsite.

Although telecommuting may seem like a big step at first, with plenty of advance planning, it can become a natural extension of your company’s employment policies