INSIDE: If you’re going to work from home for your employer, having a telecommuting policy is key to ensuring everyone is on the same page and all expectations are met. Here’s your guide to creating one that’s a win-win.
Telecommuting, telecommuting, remote work, virtual work, work from home, mobile work. Whatever you want to call it, more and more people are looking for jobs that allow them to work from the comfort and safety of their homes.
While the result of all these types of work is the same (you can work from home), there are subtle differences.
For example, telecommuting and telecommuting, they sound similar, they even look alike, but they are a bit different.
What is the difference between telecommuting and telecommuting?
Teleworking is a term that refers to the elimination of commuting. With a telecommuting job role, you can work from home, but you are generally expected to come into the office on certain days or at least live in the general vicinity of the physical office location.
Telecommuting just means working remotely. It’s closer to what we consider remote work. You are not expected to live near your office or come to the office at any time. You can simply do your work remotely.
If you’re interested in transitioning to a telecommuting or telecommuting role, be sure to keep reading as I delve into the details of telecommuting, the pros and cons, as well as how you can ask your current employer to support a telecommuting arrangement.
Common inclusions of the telework policy
A telecommuting policy, also known as a telecommuting agreement, is a document created between the employee and their manager that outlines the terms of the employees’ telecommuting job.
A telecommuting work policy can include everything from details of employee pay and hours to how your home workstation should be set up.
The purpose is to ensure that both the employee and their manager are on the same page when it comes to expectations and how the employee will perform their job. Work from home.
Some common sections you may find in a telecommuting agreement include:
- Specific requirements
- work location
- Hours (basic hours available)
- Telecommuting vs office hours
- work tasks
- salary and benefits
- necessary equipment or teleworking tools
- Performance standards and evaluation
- information security
- vacation break
- Sick leave
- Safety Checklist
- Agreement of signatures of
Pros and cons of teleworking for work
If you’re interested in telecommuting for work, then you probably have an idea of some of the associated benefits. Let’s take a minute to look at the pros and cons associated with telecommuting.
Advantages of teleworking
- Eliminate long trips – Saves you time and money
- More work-life balance – spend more time exercising, cooking or playing with your kids instead of sitting in traffic
- More schedule flexibility – although you still have to work a regular business day, you can have more flexibility in how you schedule your time
- easier to focus – many people find it easier to concentrate when they are not distracted by other people working next to them in a cubicle, ringing phones, or side conversations
- Greater comfort – I mean, you can literally wear your pajamas when you work from home. It’s hard to get that level of comfort in an office environment.
Cons of teleworking
- Loneliness – no opportunity to meet co-workers or have a water cooler chat when you are working with a remote computer.
- Blurred lines between work and home – It can be difficult to stop working at the end of the day.
- too much comfort – As someone who works from home, I know how easy it can be to fall into the comfort trap and wear nothing but sweatshirts for weeks on end. While this sounds good, it can also make you feel lazy.
- too many distractions – some people may find it more difficult avoid distractions when working from home. A messy kitchen, dirty laundry, or family members can make it hard for you to focus and get work done.
Types of telework arrangements and expectations
Due to Covid-19, teleworking has become a necessary option for many companies. And now that employees have gotten a taste of what it is like, they may not want to go back to the way things were.
Before Covid-19, the types of jobs that could be done remotely included things like software development, content creation, sales and marketing, as well as online teaching or tutoring. Since Covid-19, companies are finding that many other jobs can be sufficiently completed from home.
If you work in an industry or position that lends itself to a telecommuting arrangement, or if you are interested in finding a telecommuting job, it is important that you know the details of your teleworking policy. It’s even better if you can participate in the creation of this document.
If you can, here are some things to consider as you work on your telecommuting policy.
Programming expectations
How often are you expected to be in the office? Do you have any control over the days you go? Can you standardize your schedule or do you have the option of making it more flexible? Will you have basic required hours that must be available or will you have more freedom in choosing your hours?
team expectations
If you are awarded a telecommuting position, it is important to describe the expectations of the team. Am I expected to provide a computer and set up a work station? Or will your company provide you with everything you need and make sure you have access to ergonomic equipment?
Bills
In addition to who is responsible for paying for your workstation, you want to know who is responsible for paying for things like travel expenses, business phone calls, and even equipment maintenance. This information must be explicitly described in the telecommuting agreement to avoid future problems.
legal considerations
there’s also legal considerations keep in mind when creating or reviewing your telecommuting policy. Telecommuting arrangements must not involve any form of discrimination (eg, only allowing some employees to work from home and not others with the same job description).
You and your employer should also discuss how you will keep track of hours worked and discuss overtime policies. When it comes to your expenses and equipment associated with working from home, some states have required employers to reimburse a certain portion of employees’ cell phone or internet bills if they use them for work. When you work from home, you should also be aware of your company’s privacy and security policies.
While this all sounds really complicated, chances are your company has some sort of telecommuting agreement template that you can work with. You won’t have to reinvent the wheel, but it’s important to review the telecommuting policy carefully to understand the rules and expectations associated with telecommuting.
Tips for applying for a telework agreement
If you’re ready to approach your current employer about a telecommuting agreement, you need to create a compelling remote work proposal. This can include items such as:
- How does a teleworking position benefit the company? For example, they can save on office space, can accommodate business calls before or after. Anything you can frame as a win for them.
- Highlight your skills and qualifications. Discuss how your education, experience, and qualification make you a good candidate for a telecommuting position. If he has worked for the company for years as a reliable and high-performing employee, remember that.
- Please provide a tentative outline of what your telecommuting agreement will look like. Describe the days you propose to work from home, how often you will be in the office, what your main business hours will be, how you will set up your home office, etc. The more detail you can provide, the better, because it shows that you’ve thought of everything.
- Prepare for rebuttals – try to anticipate any rejection you may receive from your supervisor and have a rebuttal ready. Having a detailed outline of how you expect your telecommuting arrangement to work will definitely help with this.
Once you get the green light from your manager or supervisor, you can set up your home office and start reaping all the benefits. benefits of remote work.
Are you ready to say goodbye to your trip?
If you dream of the freedom, flexibility and convenience that comes with working from home, then you should consider a telecommuting position. With these telecommuting policy tips, the transition will be much easier.
Of course, it will take some hustling up front to secure your new position, whether it’s searching for a new remote job or writing a pitch to sell your boss. However, it will all be worth it when you replace your long and busy commute with a short commute from your bedroom to your home office.
–By Jessica Martel
