04-09-2020
Working remotely is a now reality for many organizations that might have declined requests to do so prior to the pandemic for a variety of practical reasons. It makes sense to be thoughtful about managing a remote workforce because when this period passes, whether it's sooner or later, there likely will be some confusion and disorder surrounding the question of who will go back to the office, who can continue working from home, and exactly what that all will look like. To help avoid issues while working virtually and during the reintegration process (whenever that may happen), the following strategies might be helpful:
- Establish guidelines for working from home. Make it clear that this is a temporary situation due to the circumstances. Keep reevaluating guidelines to see if they are realistic and workable.
- Communicate expectations, preferably in writing, related to productivity, hours of work, availability, etc.
- Properly track the time worked so that you do not expose your business to claims for unpaid wages or overtime.
- Be alert to and take extra care to protect employees against racial or ethnic bias.
- Immediately address complaints of unfair or inappropriate treatment.