Companies are at a crossroads about whether they should go remote, come back to the office or move forward with a hybrid approach as economies open up across the country. With this will inevitable be a change in some company policies, and leaders need to evaluate which ones are necessary for the future.
“For the most part, policies should be applicable to both remote workers and employees at a regular work site,” said Katie Brennan, a human resources knowledge advisor at the Society for Human Resource Management. “But there are certainly going to be some considerations that an employer will want to take.”
For starters, if your company has a formal dress code policy, consider relaxing it for employees both in and out of the office to avoid the perception of favoritism.
Additionally, companies should review their flexitime policies and apply it to the entire workforce depending on the position. Doing so can boost employee morale and productivity as workers know when they can get their best work done. This includes remote working, alternating schedules and more.
If employees are coming back into the office, major changes will need to be made in order to accommodate new safety and health precautions. This means distancing work stations, health screenings, limited occupancy and other practices that are compliant with state and federal law.
For those who may opt to work from home more often, leaders should provide a section about remote work into current reimbursement policies. It should be up to companies to provide the necessary tools to operate from home, such as the internet and computers.
