Even when someone works from home, high-level instructions are experienced by all, if not, most employees. That is why policies are a must for the working environment. Otherwise, the lack of organization and miscommunication can happen between the company and its employees. Moreover, a policy has to contain vital measures, and general rules are, like what the exact duties every person in the scope has to achieve. If you want that kind of document, choose from our front-line collection of ready-made Work from Home Policy Templates. These templates are printable and easy to customize. They are also professionally written, so, download a template now!
What Is a Work from Home Policy?
A work from home policy is a set of guidelines and rules for the employees working from home. It also functions to resolve any dilemma regarding the unacceptable behaviors of both the company employee and the employer through following the policy process procedure.
Even before the devastation of coronavirus hit the global economy, several employees were already working from home in the US. As stated by the FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics, there was an increase of 7.9% of people working from home from the year 2016 to the year 2017. As of this year, 2020, telecommuting is a widespread alternative to working from the office. Further, it's also essential to understand that, like working in the workplace, companies allowing work from home setups need policies to follow.
How to Create a Work from Home Policy
To help you create a well-written and productive work from home (WFH) policy document, follow the tips below.
1. Define the Purpose
Writing a work from home policy always begins with a purpose. Your objective will clarify the motivations or grounds that influenced you to create this type of document. To illustrate, you may write that the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has caused the company to request the employees to work from home. Having this document can serve as proof that the company is allowing this new setup.
2. Create the Scope
Like project management, document, a policy needs a scope. The scope will determine the employees or staff who will need to adhere to the new procedures. In simple words, this document targets those affected. For that, deliberately create a list of these people. These individuals can be contractors, interns, staff, or employees.
3. Itemize the Policy Statement
The sample policy statement is a list of high-level instructions and parameters that the employees will have to follow. In writing each account, it's crucial to focus only on the policy while using concise sentences for better comprehension. For instance, you can mention that each employee may have a flexible work schedule as one of your statements. Last but not least, be mindful and steer away from unnecessary stipulations.
4. Add More Sections
If you want your legal document to be very detailed, you may add more sections to it. Having more sections with lesser content is much more readable for your employees as opposed to long paragraphs. You can add sections for the disclaimer and related policies.