{"id":819,"date":"2020-02-20T10:37:20","date_gmt":"2020-02-20T10:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/?p=819"},"modified":"2021-08-31T06:26:33","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T10:26:33","slug":"work-from-home-guidelines-manage-remote-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/work-from-home-guidelines-manage-remote-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Work From Home Guidelines To Set Up To Manage Remote Employees"},"content":{"rendered":"

The rise of remote work has helped companies hire great talent from across the globe without having to face challenges like logistics, commuter delays, and home responsibilities. Companies like Automattic and Buffer have perfected the art of managing remote employees. But, for these companies, perfecting the remote working culture within their teams has only been possible with work from home guidelines and policies that have been laid out for their employees.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re thinking of allowing remote work within your company or transitioning to a remote culture for your team, you may want to read ahead!<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve observed the practices picked up by companies who successfully manage remote employees and have put together 10 work from home guidelines to help you replicate success.<\/span><\/p>\n

10 Work From Home Guidelines to Help You To Manage Remote Employees<\/span><\/h2>\n

1. Structured work hours<\/span><\/h3>\n

Have every remote employee set their work hours, even if you allow a flexible schedule for your team. Having a structure in place can give them a sense of schedule and they\u2019ll be much more likely to start working on time and check out of work when they were supposed to. With a structured schedule, you can manage your remote employees without having to guess when they\u2019ll be starting work.<\/span><\/p>\n

This structure can also help the employee maintain a work-life balance. Make it a rule for managers to not ask for employees to work on anything after the employee\u2019s work hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have a team of mixed schedules, including shift workers, you should check out <\/span>our guide to employee scheduling<\/span><\/a> to understand schedule management better.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Use time tracking to create accountability<\/span><\/h3>\n

To enforce each employee\u2019s work schedule, you can set up time tracking apps that record when the employee has started and ended work each day. Since your employees are working remotely, it\u2019s hard to gauge whether the employee is working at the time they are supposed to. Time tracking apps have simplified the way remote teams can stay accountable.<\/span><\/p>\n

AttendanceBot<\/span><\/a> lets you set up time tracking systems right within your communication platform\u2014 whether it\u2019s Slack, Microsoft Teams, or G Chat. Employees can \u201ccheck-in\u201d when they start working, send a quick message when they step away from their desk for a break or for lunch, and \u201ccheck out\u201d when they end their workday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"time<\/p>\n

This data is then recorded at the backend so that you can access and monitor each employee\u2019s work hours.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Daily check-in with the team<\/span><\/h3>\n

Besides keeping your team honest with their time, it\u2019s also important to keep them accountable for their work. Many successful remote teams use the \u201cdaily check-in\u201d method of keeping each other more honest with the work they are doing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The employee just needs to answer a few questions:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What did you do yesterday?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. What do you plan to do today?<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Do you have any blockers?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    This simple system can be implemented as a message within the department\u2019s Slack channel or on a daily stand-up call.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s what<\/span> one remote employee says<\/span><\/a> about daily check-ins:<\/span><\/p>\n

    “Our team has a daily standup meeting each morning where we share what we’re working on for the day. On days I’m working from home, I tend to slightly overcommit on what I’ll deliver that day. It helps keep me honest, so even if I get the urge to go do something else, I know I’ve already committed a certain amount of work to my team.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    4. Equipment requirements<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Just like in an office environment, you should consider paying for the equipment that your remote employee needs to work productivity. This equipment would include a laptop, mouse, headphone, and even a coffee allowance. Providing these necessities to your remote employees can help them work more efficiently.<\/span><\/p>\n

    You could even think of allotting a budget for your remote employee to rent out a desk at a coworking space next to their home so they have a dedicated space to work out of.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    5. Common channel of communication\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    You don\u2019t want your remote employees to ping pong their conversations between multiple channels\u2014 email, Slack, WhatsApp, etc. That\u2019s why you have to set up a rule to keep all communication in one place. Successful teams keep all their conversations on Slack and within the channels that are relevant to the conversation<\/span><\/p>\n

    Many remote managers have sworn by over-communicating to help keep the team on the same page, avoid miscommunication, and stay transparent with their work. They swear by communicating on channels rather than within direct messages where the work conversation may get lost.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n

    Pro tip 1. Over communicate: Assume 0 knowledge of your coworker while discussions and add as much context as you can. Conveying facts is important but explaining the thought process behind it makes it crystal clear. Always try to use public channels vs private chats for work.<\/p>\n

    \u2014 Ayush Jaiswal (@aayushjaiswal07) January 22, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n