Properly working internet
If the job requires constant and reliable internet, this needs to be pre arranged either by the worker or the business. Unless an employment agreement says otherwise, businesses are required to reimburse workers if they are required to incur additional costs to work from home. The internet is vital for monitoring workers activities as well as for communicating with other staff members.This to also simulate the working environment.
Scheduling and deadlines
Managers and supervisors will need to set expectations for those working at home. Odds are, unless a monitoring system is in place, workers will deviate from the prearranged working hours and perhaps not work the full hours. Instead, think of measuring workers’ performance based on their quality of work and performance, not their number of hours logged. Managers and supervisors ought to set deadlines and performance reviews to manage staff.
Separate working space
It’s necessary to create a dedicated workspace at home. It should be separate from leisure, sleeping or relaxing space. Ideally located in areas with minimal distractions and should be treated no differently to an office desk space. Minimise interactions with entities not related to work, this includes children or pets. If they’re too distracting for work, make arrangements with neighbours or friends to look after them.
IT security
Consider if an IT security portal is transferable to those working remotely or at home. It’s not hard to imagine how easily security might be compromised at home, with people leaving their laptops open or using non-work issued devices to access work files. To combat this, implement 2 factor authentication to access file storage spaces as well as setting passcode and inactive mode to lock others from accessing their devices.
Discussions and feedback
Working from home does substitute away interaction with co-workers and by extension, superiors. Managers and supervisors should keep regular contact with their staff using emails, voice chats and phone calls. Maintain discussions to monitor their activities and as an opportunity to provide feedback on how they are doing.