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Planning a Telecommuting Program: Planning
Gain Senior Management Support
Gaining senior management support is critical to the success of a telecommuting program. For that reason, a telecommuting committee member or the designated advocate should give a presentation to top management that addresses these issues:
- What is management's current position on telecommuting?
- What are management's primary concerns about implementing telecommuting?
- What business challenge might telecommuting help solve?
- Would management be willing to support or participate in a pilot program?
- Can management offer staff to assist in program development and implementation?
- Are there other business initiatives that might impede or augment a telecommuting program?
Once senior management has agreed to the concept, they might be asked to lend support by writing memos, holding meetings, taking part in training and monitoring processes.
Plan Presentations
Communication is critical in building understanding and awareness of the role your telecommuting program will play in meeting business objectives. Depending on the size and nature of your business, make additional presentations as necessary to help gain acceptance of a telecommuting initiative.
For example, schedule a general telecommuting orientation open to all interested employees. Also arrange special meetings for telecommuting prospects and their supervisors, since they will need more information about their roles in the telecommuting process.
Follow all presentations with question and answer periods. Also consider providing access to contacts within the company who know the answers or can retrieve them quickly. All these actions help to reduce rumors, produce wider employee acceptance and establish greater confidence and trust.
Developing a Formal, Written Telecommuting Policy
A thoughtfully developed telecommuting policy is essential to the success of a telecommuting program. It will support, encourage and guide the company throughout the process of adopting and managing a telecommuting program.
Company executives, managers, human resources staff, telecommuters and co-workers need to know what the expectations are and who is responsible for aspects of the program. The written policy should represent management's goals for the program and clarify program terms and conditions.
A well-developed telecommuting policy achieves the following:
- Defines procedures for employees to apply to become telecommuters
- Ensures selection fairness
- Clarifies accountability
- Provides "exit options"
A telecommuting policy typically includes the following:
- Definition and interpretation of telecommuting at your company
- Policy statement explaining the company's commitment to telecommuting
(often a simple, one-sentence statement) - Principles of telecommuting at your company (statements about business needs, telecommuter characteristics, terms and conditions of employment, equipment provision, work space designation, telecommuting agreement, scheduling, statement of voluntary nature of the program)
- Procedure to request a telecommuting arrangement
- Selection of telecommuting candidates (job characteristics, telecommuter and supervisor characteristics in determining participants); requirement to sign the telecommuting agreement
- Statement of compliance with existing (and future) regulations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and workers' compensation guidelines
- Guidelines for required communication by phone or e-mail with supervisors and managers
- Details of equipment arrangements (list of equipment the company is providing, who is responsible for its care, policy regarding personal use of equipment, proprietary information and security)
- Performance measures and success evaluation for the program (details for program evaluation specifically and general discussion of individual performance measures)
- Policy on timekeeping (restate company's existing policy or develop one for the program)
- Statement on safety (including statement on ergonomics of the home work space)
- Statement of employer's ability to discontinue the telecommuting arrangement with notice
- Defines procedures for employees to apply to become telecommuters
