Employer considerations for home working
I’m chuckling after reading one of our advisory articles from 2013, regarding the increasing numbers of employees we analysed then, who were asking their employers for more flexible working arrangements. Of course, resulting from the Covid19 pandemic, many employees are now expecting to continue with home working or at the very least, have greater flexibility to do as it suits them, rather than returning to a 100% office based situation.
Whilst there is plenty of guidance for employees as to how to manage a successful arrangement of home working (or telecommuting), there has historically been little guidance on the management of this for employers. With shortages of office real estate in some markets, spiraling costs of commercial desk space, arduous commutes deterring would-be-employees, plus the accelerated availability of technology to allow for virtual work interaction, effecting home working arrangements can offer many advantages to employers.
Some jurisdictions are already well versed to guide employers on home working entitlements. In the UK, for example, the right to request flexible working has been enshrined in law for those employees who have commitments to care for someone at home. The Netherlands also has strong legal support for flexible work arrangements to accommodate parental and care duties. In addition to home working with a potential blend with office working, employers can also consider other flexible working arrangements inclusive of shift work, flexi-time, part-time, or even job share - everything of course being largely dependent on the type of work involved.
It is worth remembering that in many countries the obligations of an employer towards his or her staff is exactly the same as if that employee were in the office. Checks on health and safety, performance appraisals, remuneration and so on are expected to be the same no matter where the work is carried out. So what else should an employer be aware of before agreeing to a home working arrangement?
Finding the right staff – not everyone is suitable for home working. The distractions of the home environment do not make it easy for everyone to give their work their full attention. For new employees you need to use some sort of assessment to determine who has the necessary self-motivation and concentration, but it is more difficult to apply these kind of tests to the existing workforce. In that case you should look at their attitude to work, the preparedness to work outside normal hours and their focus on getting the job done
Setting up the home office - most of the equipment a home worker needs will be provided by the employer. You need to ensure their workspace is safe and suitable for the work involved. You need to ensure that IT can, and will, support remote working and that any software is licenced for use outside the office. Don’t forget that homeworkers remain your responsibility even though they’re at home
Getting the process right – working from home must suit both parties in the sense that it shouldn’t make the process of work more complicated or time consuming. Agree with your employees exactly how things will get done, who does what and by when and ensure that contact on these issues is regular and clear. Also make sure you have a back-up plan if something goes wrong – this is easy in an office but needs a different plan for homeworkers
Managing the home workers – employers will have to develop new ways to manage their staff. The traditional relationship between the two will change fundamentally. The occasional home visit by the manager, or office visit by the home worker, may be essential to build upon and maintain mutual understanding, empathy, respect and loyalty
Are they actually working? – many managers, particularly those new to managing home workers, are concerned that their staff will take every opportunity to avoid work and do something else. Additionally it is likely that managers will now only have work outputs to judge an employees performance. Fundamental to any relationship is trust and both parties should start expecting the best from the other. If there are concerns then consideration needs to be given to quality checks, and possibly to productivity checks; but if trust is lost it is very hard to regain.
How to ingrain culture? - without “water cooler” moments or the ability to overhear conversations or observe behaviours, how do you educate remote workers effectively on “this is how we do it here” or the “rights and wrongs” of behaviours and values that are part of your company’s subconscious culture. Putting people through training courses or spewing forth reminder emails just doesn’t cut it.
How to train effectively? - you can build a great learning curriculum and have regular discussions, but as we’ve found ourselves, there is a surprising amount that is still in our heads that we don’t think to share formally. Again, without the ability to overhear conversations or observe how situations are handled, there’s a chance that critical learning will be missed.
Avoiding isolation of home workers – this isn't just about maintaining regular corporate communications, but refers to a broader level of emotional engagement. Staff will likely come to miss the informal chats and learning (and maybe even the gossip) that comes from working side by side with others. This can be offset with modern technology like Skype, Zoom, email, and social media to facilitate "chat" opportunities. Staff however may also be working longer hours than ever before, because they cannot "escape" the working environment whilst their office is physically in their homes. This in turn may negatively impact a person's family and social life, further increasing the sense of isolation. Both parties must make a commitment for regular social events, and dedicated time for banter, debriefing and knowledge sharing; and keep track of time being worked for expected productivity results.
Despite the appeal of home working for many employers and their employees, it is interesting to note that telecommuting is not necessarily the arrangement of choice for all “cutting edge” industries. Yahoo tried it, then binned it, citing “some of the best decisions and insights come from cafeteria discussions, hallway meetings and meeting new people” as the rationale behind their decision. Just a handful of years ago Google’s CFO was asked how many people telecommute he said “as few as possible”! Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has also been quoted as saying "telecommuting is one of the dumber ideas I've ever heard".
Sir Richard Branson on the other hand believes a time will come when "people are going to look back and wonder why offices ever existed".
The reality is that telecommuting doesn’t suit every individual or every business and decisions have to be taken locally as circumstances dictate.
If you are going to allow staff to work from home then it will require some effort on your part as an employer to make it a success, not least in learning how to manage in a different way. There are no doubts that there can be benefits to home working for individuals such as increased motivation, better engagement and greater effort, and benefits for employers in reduced accommodation costs, lower recruitment costs, and higher productivity.
Certainly without doubt, is that both parties need to trust each other, plan carefully for the workflow and communicate regularly both on a formal, and informal basis.
About the Author
Tracey Thompson is well regarded within the industry for her ability to source and engage high performance HR talent. Over many years she has built a well deserved reputation for her uncanny ability to access proverbial “purple squirrel” HR specialists and as a result, is looked to as a global sourcing subject matter expert.