Page 124 -

C h a n g i n g t h e W a y We Wo r k h a n g i n g t h e W a y We Wo r k
C h a p t e r 5 : h a p t e r 5 :
C C 95 95

How to Do It
Setting up a telecommuting program is reasonably straightforward, but there is some work
to be done. It’s ideal to have these steps in place before sending employees home with laptops.

Assessing and Measuring Performance Performance standards should be established and
should be the same as those for office-based employees who perform the same duties.
You should ensure that telecommuters receive the same training and information as
office-based employees. Don’t forget—they’re still part of your company. Telecommuters
should also get the same consideration as their office-based peers for personnel transactions,
such as promotions, transfers, and the like.
Work Rules Just because the employee is working from home doesn’t mean that he or she
should live by a different set of rules than office-based employees. Will you be able to check
in on Dave and make sure he doesn’t have his shoes off and have the stereo cranked up?
Probably not, but the same rules should apply. Substance abuse and negligence pertaining to
work product or hours are important. Although Jeni Johnson may be wearing sandals while
she works, she can’t start working an hour late and with an open beer bottle on her desk.
Review Requests Some employees will want to telecommute; others simply want to come to
the office. In order to find out who wants to work from home, your human resources staff
should consider developing telecommuting guidelines and involve any unions or other PART III
employee organizations.
The telecommuting guidelines should include a three-step process:
• Preapproval If an employee wants to telecommute, they fill out a worksheet that
the organization can use to evaluate their suitability for telecommuting. Issues to
consider in the preapproval worksheet include:
• Core work hours.
• Preapproval of the employee’s workspace at home.
• Identification of an alternate work site in case the employee can’t work at the
first site.
• Assurance that the employee has the appropriate equipment to safely perform
their job without risk of injury. Safety guidelines should also be in place.
• Approval If human resources deems the employee suitable for telecommuting, the
employee and organization complete an agreement that spells out the specifics of
the telecommuting arrangement.
• Ongoing monitoring The organization should regularly review each telecommuting
arrangement to ensure that the criteria originally established continue to be met.
Other issues that the organization needs to be aware of and that the employee should
sign off on include:
• The company should pay for a dedicated telephone line for business purposes. It
should be understood that the company will review monthly bills. Typically the
individual’s cell phone becomes their business line while they are at home.