You could have different arrangements depending on the role and the needs of your employees. Discuss with them:
- which roles can and cannot be done from home
- who may or may not want to work from home
- any concerns and how best to handle them
For example, you might need some roles based full-time in the workplace. Some might work 3 days in the workplace, 2 days remotely. Others might work from home most of the time, coming into the workplace only occasionally.
Think about how employment contracts might be affected and consult with your employees and their representatives.
Considering employees
Discuss your employee's needs, and consider how you can support them.
For example, consider:
- any reasonable adjustments
- their home working environment
- any caring responsibilities
- other flexible working needs
Avoid generalising or making assumptions.
For example, Sam is a wheelchair user. Their manager thought they might prefer to work from home to avoid public transport. But Sam is worried about being isolated and would prefer to come into the workplace.
Considering roles
Think about whether work could be done remotely or if it needs to be done in the workplace. For example:
- if technology could help
- how teams communicate
- if there are any concerns about health and safety, and how to address them
- why a task needs to be carried out in the workplace
Think about how important it is for work to be done at a specific time. For example:
- if there are core times that employees need to work together
- how often should teams meet in person
- if a client or stakeholder expects meetings or work to be done at specific times
- how you manage the maximum number of hours an employee can work
- how you encourage employees to take rest breaks
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Considering practicalities
As you consider where and when work could be done, you should think about how that affects other practical issues – and ensure you cover these in your policy.
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