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An ambiguous rule or uneven enforcement of any rule opens your actions to challenge as arbitrary or discriminatory. Rules that are reasonable and clearly related to the safe and efficient operation of the business are typically the best. In general, it's not necessary to say that things like stealing or insubordination are prohibited as employees are expected to know these things.
Companies need to plainly state that no employee will be terminated on the basis of working remotely. The reason this policy even needs to be stated is because many managers are uncomfortable with remote working because they can’t see their employees, said Rozwell. To set employees up for success, they need to understand what their expectations are–whether they are working in or out of the office. Without remote work policies, a disconnect can form between employees and their supervisors, which is unproductive and unhelpful. How should an employer determine whether a particular job can be performed at home? An employer and employee first need to identify and review all of the essential job functions.
Making sure rules aren't perceived negatively
Before setting up a day full of half-hour meetings, therefore, remember how long those chats would have taken in an office. More often than not, you will find that a shorter call is far more appropriate. Remote working doesn't change some elements of corporate professionalism. Of course, in order to have a truly successful work at home program, you need to make sure it’s something employees need, want, and benefit from. Try asking for their input on policies—and make sure to effectively educate everyone on the guidelines before instating them. It’s also a great idea to regularly evaluate your work from home policy, ask for feedback, and make updates when necessary.
However, because the relationship between work rules and quality of work life is an important one, if work rules are unreasonable, inappropriate, or unenforced, the rules can actually damage employee morale. In making rules, be sensitive to the needs and circumstances of your employees. That way, when disciplining employees is necessary, your actions will be defensible. If you have a policy against fighting that simply says employees who fight on the job will be suspended, you've got a problem because you only suspended one of the employees involved, Jack. But, if your policy clearly states that fighting is not acceptable on work time, and that an employee who throws a punch or starts a fight will be suspended, you are in a much better position to defend your actions.
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"My view is if you are entitled to the home-office deduction you should claim it, as long as you follow the rules." Maybe, due to the pandemic, you've started a home business this year or have been working from home as an employee. If so, you'll want to understand the tax rules so you know what you can and can't write off on your 2020 tax return. "Contextualizing individuals is key, as we don't have the opportunity to meet face-to-face," says Lesaicherre.
The individual must explain what limitations from the disability make it difficult to do the job in the workplace, and how the job could still be performed from the employee's home. The employer may request information about the individual's medical condition if it is unclear whether it is a "disability" as defined by the ADA. The employer and employee may wish to discuss other types of accommodations that would allow the person to remain full-time in the workplace. However, in some situations, working at home may be the only effective option for an employee with a disability.
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You may also want to include a disclaimer saying that the list of work rules is not intended to be an employment contract. "It would be impractical to set forth a list of all activities that are considered to be illegal or contrary to good business practices and good employee-employer relations. This is intended only as a guideline." So, my solution to this was to grow my social interaction significantly over what I was having when I was working in my own office. Going out to movies, running in the park, meeting for drinks or just chat, whatever it takes to get me out of my home/working space. On a one to ten scale, my social life before was around 3 and now is at a steady 7.
Specifically, you state that your company will be placing some of its sales executives in home office environments. You state that the home office is generally a single room within the home of the sales executive that would have a desk, chair, file cabinet, business telephone, desktop or laptop computer, printer and a fax machine. You ask several specific questions that would apply specifically to your sales executives, as well as general questions that could apply to many other types of home work situations. Moonlighting, the practice of working for another organization in a separate job in addition to one’s current employment, is a fairly common practice these days. It’s especially frequent in technology where people with varying skills and backgrounds may find their abilities in demand by multiple companies and in need of multiple streams of income to ...
Do not indulge in rumors about other staff or the business in the office. Keep a safe distance between the professional and personal life of yourself and others too. When you're on personal time, hanging out with colleagues, talk of something light and positive rather than office gossip.
Though your staff’s home work environments may be unique, rules must still be uniform. You should enforce work from home policies and regulations equally among staff. Home workers should deliver the same quality and quantity of work as in-office staff, and you should hold team members in all locations accountable. Perpetuating teamwork and community are strong benefits of team building, and just as essential to the job as technical tasks. So, you should ensure that offsite employees take time to connect with colleagues.
"So I tend to tell people, 'you're the boss', so they don't get forced to do something they don't want to do." Rather, Sowmyanarayan recommends buying some basic equipment to improve your home set-up. It's worth investing, for example, in budget lighting or an external mic.
Technology evolves rapidly, and global situations constantly change. You should revisit the document to refresh security protocols, reconsider default programs, and adapt rules to fit to new circumstances. If remote work is only available for certain positions or extenuating circumstances, then you should explicitly state this fact in the policy. Otherwise, granting only some employees the permission to work from home could seem like favoritism. According to the Harvard Business Review, flexible working and work from home options are among the most sought employee perks and benefits, so employees may be extra sensitive to fair treatment in telecommuting decisions. You can include expense procedures in your work from home policy, mentioning whether items such as office furniture, meals, subscriptions, or mileage are recoverable costs.
That had to be quite a blow to the egos and morale of those required to report to the office. If you're over the limit, complex IRS rules determine whether your business income qualifies for a full or partial deduction. Deductible expenses can include a pro-rated portion of your mortgage or rent, homeowner's or renter's insurance, home repairs and utility bills, based on the square footage of your home and office. Sowmyanarayan estimates that he engages two to three times more with his teams as a result of the switch to remote working.
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