Working remotely is not for everyone. The employee’s work efficiency from home must be continuously monitored by setting expectations for durations for tasks and establishing deadlines for deliverables. Some people are more capable of efficient work while working remotely than others. If a manager finds the quality or efficiency of an employee’s work is declining, one possible remedy may be for the employee to report to the office more often or even full-time. The employee must always meet the eligibility requirements in the Telecommuting and Remote Work policy.

Effective communication is critical in establishing trust, and both managers and direct reports may need to be more purposeful in how they check in with each other. It is important to set clear expectations and establish regular check-in meetings at appropriate intervals. It is also recommended that you utilize different modes of communication (Teams Instant Messenger, Teams video, email, phone call, etc.) for different types of conversations, and know and respect your coworkers preferred mode(s) of communication.

Yes. In most circumstances you can request that an employee come into the office for certain trainings, meetings, or team events. If the training is for a long duration, the schedule should be agreed upon by the employee and manager and the department manager should be notified of the arrangement.

Advantages of telecommuting and remote work may include the following:

1. Workplace flexibility is an employee benefit but can also be used as a management tool to increase efficiency and enhance productivity. It can be viewed as a mutually beneficial business process for employees and managers.
2. Helps with employee attraction and retention.
3. Produces time and cost savings for the employee resulting from reduced commuting.
4. Produces cost savings for the company resulting from reductions in turnover and absenteeism.
5. Decreases stress on employees and increases health and well-being which have impacts on absenteeism and lowers overall health care costs.
6. Expands availability to clients.
7. Increases employee commitment and engagement.
8. Allows for business continuity during emergency circumstances such as a weather event or pandemic.

Human Resources is looking into training options for managers, so they have resources regarding best practices for managing telecommuting and remote employees.