Working From Home Policy

What is a Working From Home Policy?

A Working From Home Policy outlines the working arrangements and health and safety guidelines for employees working remotely or from home.

You can use this template to increase flexibility within your business, clearly outline the procedures to be followed, and set the ground rules in black and white.

Who can use this template?

• Any industry
• All Australian states and territories
• Any business which wants to introduce remote working arrangements for employees
• Working From Home
• Working Remotely
• Employers with changed work arrangements due to COVID19

Do I need a Working From Home Policy?

Yes! In an ever-changing work landscape, your business should be able to adapt and offer flexible working arrangements where necessary.

Having a working from home policy helps you clearly communicate your expectations of employees who are working remotely and gives them guidelines as to how to create a safe working environment wherever they are.

The COVID19 pandemic has forced many businesses to implement working from home arrangements for the first time and introduced new risks which you may have never faced before.

It’s important to understand that employers may be liable for injuries and incidents sustained by workers in their homes even though they have little control over the home environment.

What does the Working From Home Policy template cover?

Our comprehensive Working From Home Policy template covers:

• Responsibilities  – the responsibilities of any team member working remotely, and their supervisor(s)
• Equipment – details of equipment and furniture required to establish a productive and ergonomic workspace at home
• Communication – any protocols or rules around communication, including frequency and method of communication
• Availability – how often employees are permitted to work from home, subject to agreement with the employer
• On-Site – any specific requirements for employees to be on-site for meetings, check-ins etc
• Review of arrangement – how often the arrangement will be reviewed

Employer Obligations

You have an obligation as an employer to ensure the health and safety of workers. This duty extends to work that they complete remotely or from home.

Having a working from home policy can help you meet these obligations by providing guidelines for safe work.

We also recommend you have a WHS Policy to formally document the responsibility of employees and others in contributing to a safe workplace.

What are some common challenges for employees working from home?

• Lack of supervision – Most employees are used to checking in with their manager a few times a day. When everyone is working from home, those conversations may change from in-person catch-ups and afternoon meetings to Slack or Microsoft Teams messages. Some employees may need more or less supervision, so it’s important to plan for how your team will manage this when you’re scattered.

• Productivity – Work from home productivity will be different from in-office work. It may be more efficient for some, but for others, capacity and output may shift until workers become more comfortable in their new environment. Be understanding that it’s challenging for anyone to work in a new environment.

• Isolation – People are social, and part of having a strong company culture is that your employees enjoy spending time together. Create regular check-ins for your team, put the best technology for your team to work, and offer support when needed.

• Distractions at home – Whether it’s kids, pets, tradesmen or a stack of laundry, there will be distractions. Remember that there are also distractions at the office, just of a different variety.

• Lack of access – Not everyone in every job will be able to work from home. If you run a restaurant, retail shop or medical facility, it’s next to impossible to have everyone work remotely and run your business. If you’re dealing with an emergency or critical event, consider options like staggered work shifts to allow employees to have more time outside your location as needed.

• Expenses – Be clear on who’s paying for what and how you’ll cover hardware or software expenses for employees to create their WFH space.

How often should we update our Working From Home Policy?

A policy is not a static document. Instead, it’s a collaborative document that evolves and improves over time.

We recommend that you evaluate your policy at frequent intervals using surveys and manager check-ins and tweak it according to the feedback you receive from both employees and managers.

Is this Working From Home Policy template legal?

Absolutely!

All our templates are written by qualified Australian lawyers who hold an Australian legal practicing certificate.

Our co-founder Courtney Bowie is a partner in Sydney law firm, Her Lawyer.