We are in the midst of a shift in the workplace. Many organizations are in the process of transitioning to or adapting to hybrid work, and others are embracing remote work in its entirety. As of 2021, McKinsey reports that 9 in 10 companies are switching to a hybrid work model.

While companies can say they are transitioning to hybrid and flexible working, a true change in an organization’s model of work requires a massive shift from company culture to workplace policies to the physical design and infrastructure of the office.

We’ve created free remote, flexible, and hybrid work policies for your company to strategically implement policies and processes that support an employee experience driven workplace. Use these downloadable workplace policies along with the guidelines below to find the answers to questions like:

• How often are employees able to work remotely?
• What technology will be provided for remote work?
• Will we provide access to an office space for all employees?
• What are the communication expectations for employees?
  
  

By creating standardized policies for the workplace, your organization can grow as an inclusive work environment, and join the ranks of the high-growth companies who are adapting hybrid work models and flexible workplace policies.

What Is a Remote, Flexible, or Hybrid Work Policy?

A remote, flexible, or hybrid work policy is an agreement that outlines when and how employees can work from locations other than the office or on a flexible schedule. These policies can be temporary or permanent. Remote and hybrid work policies describe who can work remotely, best practices to follow, and the legal rights of remote employees. Flexible work policies outline expectations for employees who work on a flexible schedule and help clearly set expectations for communication and availability.

Here are the first steps to take and questions to ask to create remote and hybrid workplace policies and flexible work policies that work for your business.

Remote Work Policy Template

The remote work policy outlines what's expected when working remotely. It should go into detail about all aspects of remote work. This includes expectations of working hours, legal rights, and cybersecurity requirements. Although this might sound challenging, with the right guidance, it won't be! Our remote work policy template removes the hassle of starting your policy from scratch.

Flexible Work Policy Template

Flexible work is a work model where employees are able to choose a flexible work schedule that is agreed upon by their manager, team, or department. Many organizations choose a policy requiring employees to be available during core working hours, on certain days, or a custom plan by department or office location.

Hybrid Work Policy Template

Hybrid work policies outline in-office and remote work expectations, technology, communication, and importantly, how meetings will work company-wide. By creating a hybrid work policy, you can uncover gaps in your company documentation and reveal new ways to support your staff from a company infrastructure perspective.

When the policy is clear, employees know when they should be responding to others and how to keep data safe. They'll also know their legal rights when working remote, flexible or hybrid.

How to Create a Remote Work Policy

1. Determine how employees will be expected to work and communicate at your organization.

While employees across many roles can work effectively outside the office, not all roles are best-suited for a fully remote work model. An important aspect of your workplace policies should be equality and inclusivity whenever possible. Your policy and processes should ensure everyone can feasibly work from home when necessary, no matter their role as a means of future-proofing your workplace.

Your remote, flexible, or hybrid work policy will outline all the tools and strategies that will be necessary for all employees to work productively in each work arrangement. Questions to consider when building new policies include:

• What tools, resources, and strategies will team members need to work effectively?
• What technology and infrastructure needs will your employees have? 
• How do your existing supplementary policies fit into a remote, hybrid, or flexible work model?
• Think about technology policies, communication policies, and onboarding materials and documentation.
• What considerations need to take place when identifying who will manage a remote employee? Will that person need additional training and resources?
• How will remote, flexible, and hybrid work affect the culture and collaboration among your teams?
• Will remote, flexible, or hybrid work impact taxes or benefits for the company or employees in different states or countries?
  
  

Ask the right questions and determine the answers with your HR, legal, and finance teams before rolling out any policies to make sure the transition is smooth.

2. Provide the right tools for successful and secure work.

When working away from the office, your employees need the right tools to work securely and productively. For many employees, a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection might not be enough. Remote or hybrid employees need technology that makes them feel engaged and part of the team, not just an afterthought. Be sure to ask questions like:

• How will employees communicate with the rest of the team while working remotely?
• Will you set them up with video conferencing software and hardware so they can virtually attend meetings and brainstorms?
• Do you provide collaboration tools or communication software? What are your expectations of availability on these tools?
• Do you have meeting spaces and tools that allow remote employees to be clearly seen and heard?
• Do your employees need separate technology or equipment to maintain an effective home workspace, like a second monitor or printer?
• Will you offer a stipend or reimbursement so employees can purchase necessary equipment for their home offices?
  
  

Additionally, cybersecurity concerns should be top-of-mind. Remote workers might need a VPN or another form of security to work on important company files or private customer data. And while some employees might be able to operate using public Wi-Fi networks, others might need to stay at home or in a more secure co-working space to ensure data privacy.

You'll also need policies and tools in place for remote team collaboration and communication. Use additional tools like live chat, synchronous screencast recording, live video conferencing and more to ensure technology doesn't get in the way of an effective and meaningful work relationship. For instance, Slack and Google Hangouts can act as a virtual water cooler, where employees can discuss the status of a project but also debrief on White Lotus, share TikToks, and bond over their favorite music.

3. Establish clear rules about working from home.

When you're not meeting with team members in-person, creating processes for collaboration and communication are key. Consider what types of communication tools work best in situations like:

• Manager 1:1s
• Team all-hands meetings
• Client kickoff meetings
• Performance reviews
• Employee learning and development activities

Clearly communicate and document what's expected when employees work remotely. Though most employees report being more productive working remotely, distractions abound when outside of the office. Set policies about when employees are expected to be available online, or if they can operate on a flexible schedule that's built around their personal lives – for example, to accommodate a doctor's appointment or child care.

4. Plan time for collaborating and socializing.

Make sure your policy has guidelines for building in time for teams to be together outside for impromptu conversation and team-building. No matter what technologies you have at your disposal, human beings crave face-to-face connections. In your policy, build-in time every month, quarter, or year when you can virtually gather all team members for brainstorming, planning, and having fun.

You can hold virtual kickoff meetings for projects, office hours, or set up a video call for non-work related conversations. All of these activities will bring your team closer together even though they're spread across multiple locations. Check out these team-building activities for remote and hybrid teams for even more inspiration.

5. Clearly outline the legal rights that remote workers have.

Remote and hybrid workers are entitled to the same legal protections that in-office workers have. However, working remotely or on a flexible schedule can present some added challenges that need to be addressed to ensure your company is legally compliant.

Set up a process to report hours for hourly remote workers. If they work more than 40 hours, they'll likely qualify for overtime. To avoid high overtime costs, select times that employees should and shouldn't be working. With clear guidelines, they won't be able to work outside of these hours unless they have permission from their manager. This makes it easier to avoid employees accidentally working more hours than intended.

It's important to support employees that are remote just as you would in-office workers. This means clearly discussing the training, benefits, and promotions that are available to them. If you don't provide remote or hybrid workers with the same level of assistance as in-office workers, it could result in discrimination or disability-related workplace violations.

6. Discuss compensation and benefits that employees will receive.

Perks can be specific to your company but should list anything that employees earn. Some companies give a stipend for equipment needed for work such as computer monitors or desk equipment. Others provide reimbursement for employees to use on office-related costs such as electricity.

Poll your teams before deciding on benefits so you know what's important to them. This information can help employees decide if they'd rather work from home or the office. Include all perks and stipends so employees can make the best choice.

How Do I Measure the Success of a Remote, Flexible, or Hybrid Work Policy?

A policy is only as good as the results it brings in, especially when it concerns a shift from in-office work to remote work. Unlike a traditional office setting, it's difficult to see what folks are working on when remote or working a hybrid or flexible schedule. A good policy will focus on what managers expect from their employees and how they will measure success.

Every role is different, so measures of success are different for every team. Customer support will value the numbers of callers assisted rather than the number of hours they reported working. Some results-oriented metrics include the number of projects finished in a week or the number of hours worked.

These can be tracked using project management software such as Asana or Trello. However, don't take these metrics at face value alone. We found that remote workers work more than 40 hours 43% more than on-site workers. Just because they work more hours doesn't necessarily mean they're maximizing their productivity during that time. Find the metric that's most useful to your work or team so priorities are clear.

Another way to measure the success of your policy is less about numbers and more about people. Remote folks can get lost in the shuffle of work, so visibility is a priority. Fix this by scheduling regular check-ins for employees to discuss their work in a one-on-one setting.

No matter which method you use, set clear deadlines and goals for employees. Clear communication reduces the chance of missed deadlines or work that isn't up to par. Analyze work for its quality regularly. If things are starting to slip, it might be a sign that there are weaknesses in your remote work policy.

Hybrid and flexible work is a beneficial aspect of the modern workplace. Enabling alternate work models shows your employees you care about their work-life balance and trust them to do what's best for their productivity. By establishing a clear policy about remote, flexible and hybrid work, you ensure both your employees and your business reap the rewards.

Don't forget to download the remote work, flexible schedule, and hybrid work policy templates to begin improving your employee experience and changing your workplace culture.