Working
remotely is one of the best things about being in a job where you can work from
home on days where you’re not needed in the office. Of course, for the business
that is enabling the “work from home” method into their practices, things
aren’t quite as easy as they seem. A secure remote working policy is needed to
ensure that your employees are as safe working at home as they are in the
office.
Today’s technology is fantastic, and working from home is extremely popular
with employees who spend long hours typing away in their offices. More modern
employers are open to reaping the benefits of flexible working patterns and
contracts, and are often more than happy to allow their employees a few days a
home, as long as they get their duties completed just as well as they usually
would.
A strong and secure work from home policy will minimise any risks that could
come from having an employee work from home. These risks are quite specific to
your own company, so the policy that works for one company may not work for
yours. A bit of trial and error is usually needed for any policy, though, so
it’s really nothing to worry about.
Risks depend on the data and information that your employee is working with.
There are sometimes certain levels of access required to use particular areas
of your company system, and it’s really up to you to decide whether or not you
are happy to have these areas accessed outside of your company’s office
setting. That’s not saying that your employees can’t work from home at all,
just that you will need to decide what they can or can’t access remotely.
Many employers choose to give their employees company laptops to use when
they’re working from home. These have better protection, more suited to
business needs, and can keep your employee safe online while they’re working
through the day for you.
You should clearly outline what your employee’s duties are if you’re allowing
them to work from home. Working from home doesn’t need to be a huge deal, but
there should be a certain amount of work you expect them to complete if they’re
going to be away from the office for that day (or for a number of days). It’s
unlikely that an employee is going to conduct themselves in the exact same
manner at home as they would while in the office, but there’s a certain level
of responsibility that still needs to be taken into account.
Furthermore, your employees should be clear on any expectations you have for
them during their time at home. This includes how many hours you expect them to
work – or, alternatively, a set amount of work they need to complete. Usually,
this helps both you and your employee find a balance between working at home
and how much they should be paid for that day, as well as what you expect from
them.
At Hungry Shredder, we think working form home can be an amazing thing. For many people, working from home means they get more done, are happier within themselves, and perform better at daily tasks. But to do that, businesses need to make sure they are treating confidential data with care, and have policies in place to protect it. If you would like to find out more, then please get in touch with one of our team today, and we’ll be happy to share some advice.
