Work from Home Policy Sample
The Work from Home Policy provides guidelines for employees wishing to work remotely. It defines eligibility based on job nature, reasons for telecommuting, and procedures for requesting remote work. The policy ensures that remote work is beneficial for both employees and the company. A Work from Home Policy may also be referred to as a Telecommuting Policy or Home-Based Work Policy.
The work from home policy should include:
- Criteria determining eligibility for remote work based on job duties.
- Specific reasons that may necessitate telecommuting, such as parenting, emergencies, or work-life balance.
- Procedures for requesting and approving work from home, including considerations for cybersecurity and team collaboration.
Work from home policy template
Policy brief & purpose
We designed our work from home policy to make sure that working from home is beneficial to our employees and company.
Scope
This company work from home policy applies to all our employees who prefer working from home.
Are employees allowed to work from home?
Employees are allowed to work from home only if their job duties permit it. For example, people who are obliged to come in direct physical contact with customers are not eligible to telecommute under this policy. But, employees who carry out most of their work on a computer can occasionally work off-site.
Policy elements
Employees work from home or telecommute when they complete their work at a place located outside of our company’s premises. They may work from home:
- Full-time
- On certain days
- Everyday, dividing their schedule between being present at the office and working from a remote location.
Work from home arrangements can be occasional, temporary or permanent.
Reasons that could demand telecommuting include but are not limited to:
- Parenting
- Bad weather
- Emergencies
- Medical reasons
- Work-life balance
- Overlong commute
Other reasons for working from home depend on employees and managers’ judgement.
How to determine whether an employee can work from home
We advise both employees and managers to consider these elements before asking/approving work from home:
- Is the employee eligible by nature of their job?
- Are there any cybersecurity and data privacy concerns?
- Will collaboration with the employee’s team become difficult?
- Do employees have the necessary equipment or software installed at home?
- What are the conditions of employees’ home or alternative place of work (noise, internet connection etc.)
Requesting Work from Home Procedure
When employees plan to work from home, this procedure must be followed:
- Employees file a request through email or a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) at least [two days] in advance.
- Their managers must approve their request considering all elements we mentioned above.
- If the work from home arrangement spans for more than a week, managers and team members should meet to discuss details and set specific goals, schedules and deadlines.
Employees who need to work from home for unforeseen reasons (e.g. illness or temporary difficult commute) should file their request as soon as possible, so managers can consider and approve it.
Time Zone difference
Sometimes, managers and their team members are in a different time zone. When employees need to work from home for unforeseen reasons, they may not be able to get their request approved in time. In this case, they may stay to work from home and notify the HR department. We advise employees to check in with their managers as soon as their manager clocks in.
Compensation and benefits
Usually, work from home arrangements don’t affect employees’ employment terms. If working from home has any effect on compensation and benefits, then HR is responsible to create a new contract.
| Disclaimer: This policy template is meant to provide general guidelines and should be used as a reference. It may not take into account all relevant local, state or federal laws and is not a legal document. Neither the author nor Workable will assume any legal liability that may arise from the use of this policy. |
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