Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, everyone has been locked in their homes because of which every corporation is operating from home. Most of the employees are thinking of working from home in the future as well. Since everyone prioritizes their health, there will be a boom in the number of people working from home. Clearly, the pandemic is affecting everyone differently. Thus, providing a continuing ability to work from home provides meaningful support.
Although there will be very few people going back to the office, those who do will see a lot of changes. Automatic doors, no-touch elevators, dividers between cubicles and/or well-spaced desks, and few chairs in the boardroom are some of the major changes we will see. You might also see the documentation of updates on when the office was last disinfected! All this is based on an assumption that people will go back to offices.
This COVID 19 pandemic will bring in permanent changes in both commercial real estate and the work culture as well. The office we know will be very different in the new normal and hence, there is a need to formalize work from home policies! Here are some of the reasons for the same.
1. Empowers employees
Work from home policies empower your employees and benefit their physical as well as mental wellbeing. It signals trust between employees and cements an emotional bond between the employee and the employer.
2. Promotes personal growth
It gives time to the employees. Since they don’t have to spend time on the commute, they can dedicate more time to family and themselves or put it towards a hobby. According to Lake Charles attorneys, an average American commute for about 52 minutes every day! And this work from home situation is a boon for the employee to pursue other things.
3. Promotes transparency
The policy needs to have an approval process. There should be an eligibility criterion as to who will work remotely and who will come to the office. Those who come to the office should be able to request the privilege to work from home.
4. Regulates working hours
Sets regular working hours for the duration in which they work. According to Lake Charles attorneys, the policy should indicate the specific number of hours an employee is expected to work and when they should call it a day.
5. Streamlines communication
A policy should be made to streamline communication channels as well. Since there will be in-person communication for quite some time, auditing of existing communications becomes mandatory. It also means sunsetting redundant channels! The main purpose of this is to make communication efficient.
6. Ease in remote operations
Employees are relying on technology more than ever! So, it’s important to provide IT support from a logistic point of view. This is because the employees are spread in a larger area. This is very important in case there is a remote onboarding or a remote meeting. For all this, you will need to ensure that the employees can communicate efficiently and effectively.
Conclusion
This pandemic will definitely have a long impact on our careers. And keeping in mind the above-mentioned factors there is indeed a need to formulate a work from home policy. There is also a need for a well thought out law and policy to ensure that there is appropriate work from ethics between employees and employers.
If your organization is initiating work from home in the long run, you must consult Lake Charles attorneys to draft work from home policies. Having an attorney for help makes all policies clear and transparent which prevents any misunderstandings or quarrels in the future. Thus, leads to smooth operations while working remotely.
