The modern workforce—and the companies that employ them—have increasingly embraced the concept of telecommuting. The benefits are well documented, including stress reduction, increased productivity, a wider talent pool, and better employee retention rates. Even so, it’s important to establish ground rules to keep the remote work program effective and manageable. This set of policies will help guide you and your remote workers toward a successful telecommuting arrangement.

The policies:

• Telecommuting policy

As more and more employees request the opportunity to perform some or all of their work from a remote location, the need has grown for organizations to have clearly defined guidelines that govern employee and company expectations and responsibilities. This policy describes the organization’s rules and processes for enabling staff members to work remotely on a formal basis.

• Home usage of company-owned equipment policy

Employees who work from home often use company-supplied systems and devices, which helps ensure that they have consistent, state-of-the-art equipment to do their work. However, organizations should provide usage guidelines, such as this policy, covering the responsibilities of IT staff and employees.

• Remote access policy

Secure remote access to company systems and networks is now a way of life for most companies. As corporate conglomerates, small businesses, and brick-and-mortar shops fade away in favor of a distributed offsite workforce, companies and employees can profit from the greater convenience and efficiency provided by remote access. This policy outlines best practices for ensuring that remote access is implemented in a secure and manageable way.