The face of the American workforce is changing. Today’s organizations include many employees who work almost solely from home. Many of today’s managers agree that virtual work saves organizations money and, actually, increases productivity. However, home-based employees create new risks for employers.
When employees work from home, you must implement new policies and procedures to help keep these workers safe and productive, and your data secure, as well. Here are some tips to help you better manage your virtual workforce.
- Update each job description with current essential job functions to reflect at-home work.
- This helps determine if an injury arose out of employment or resulted from a household duty. You do not want to pay injury claims if they are not work-related.
- After an injury, this job description provides the treating physician with critical information to assist the employee’s return to work in a modified-duty position.
- Set ergonomic standards for home offices.
- Visit your employee’s home to ensure their workspace is appropriate. Is their work area separate from the rest of the family?
- Your employee’s equipment should be appropriate to the task. Verify that your employees use appropriate desks, ergonomic keyboards and well-fitted chairs. Some companies furnish the equipment; however, other companies require employees pay for their own equipment, believing the employees’ initial investment is a trade-off for gas and vehicle maintenance savings. Investing in an employee’s ergonomic keyboard and chair may make financial sense if you avoid paying future workers’ compensation claims.
- After your initial visit, continue to communicate with your employees and make adjustments when needed.
- Implement an annual reminder checklist that addresses fire and life safety issues as well as data security or other concerns.
- Do not assume virtual employees work solely from home. Develop a robust and dynamic information technology policy and ensure employees understand and abide by that policy.
- A 2005 survey by The International Telework Association and Council found that virtual employees worked at three-to-four different locations. These locations might include a park, a beach or a coffee shop.
- Consider potential security issues at alternate locations and develop policies to protect your data and your employees.
- If employees need to report to the office for any part of the day, for example, for a meeting, many managers require they stay the entire day.
- This reduces commuting risks and arguments over whether commute time is compensable.
- If employees are hourly, you must manage wage-and-hour risks for your mobile workforce.
- If hourly employees are answering their phones, responding to emails or reading mobile devices outside normal work hours, you may end up defending expensive wage-and-hour employment claims.
- Ensure virtual workers know what to do if they are hurt at home.
- Employees should know the location of the nearest industrial clinic and understand injury-reporting requirements. Prompt report allows you to email a job description to the clinic or medical facility so that employees can be returned to work as soon as possible after an injury.
In today’s rapidly changing employment arena, the virtual workforce will continue to expand. With some preparation, you can help keep virtual workers safer in their homes and increase productivity.
If you would like to discuss and learn more about how you and your company can best manage the virtual workplace while minimizing the risks, or need help with implementing home-based employee best practices, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or at 732.395.4251.
