Developing an effective telecommuting program

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© Hampton Resources 0510 Proprietary, All Rights Reserved Slide 1 Economic Telecommuting How Stay-at-Home Workers Can Help See You Through a Tanking Economy

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Telecommuting, once merely a growing trend, has become a veritable life raft for employers in these days of skyrocketing gas prices and plummeting employee morale. Plus, given the increasingly troubled economy, telecommuting is seen as a valuable employee benefit that doesn’t cost a lot to provide – and one that, done right, can even save you money.Don’t be fooled – while telecommuting and shortened workweeks can indeed become win-wins for you and your workers, they need to be implemented and managed the right way in order to be effective. Today we will have an in-depth discussion on the pros and pitfalls of “economic telecommuting.

Transcript of Developing an effective telecommuting program

Page 1: Developing an effective telecommuting program

© Hampton Resources 0510 Proprietary, All Rights Reserved Slide 1

Economic Telecommuting

How Stay-at-Home Workers Can Help See You Through a Tanking Economy

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Proprietary Slide 2 © Hampton Resources 0510

Inform vs. Interpret

• The purpose of this webinar is to inform you about the

regulations and provide ideas for discussion within your

recruiting, compliance, legal, and HR teams. This webinar does

not contain legal advice.

• Your corporate legal and compliance team must interpret these

regulations and:

– Review and approve all policies and procedures for compliance

– Identify areas of uncertainty or ambiguity

– Provide clear guidelines and protocols.

– Monitor changes in the regulations and their interpretations

– Answer any specific questions you have about the regulations

and how they apply to YOUR company.

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Proprietary Slide 3 © Hampton Resources 0510

Introduction

Telecommuting, once merely a growing trend, has become a veritable

life raft for employers in these days of skyrocketing gas prices and

plummeting employee morale. Plus, given the increasingly troubled

economy, telecommuting is seen as a valuable employee benefit that

doesn’t cost a lot to provide – and one that, done right, can even save

you money.

Don’t be fooled – while telecommuting and shortened workweeks can

indeed become win-wins for you and your workers, they need to be

implemented and managed the right way in order to be effective. Today

we will have an in-depth discussion on the pros and pitfalls of

“economic telecommuting.

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Proprietary Slide 4 © Hampton Resources 0510

Today’s Session

• How a well-run telecommuting program can save you and your workers money

• Why telecommuting has become a key retention strategy for smart companies

• The pros and cons of a 4-day workweek, and how to decide whether it’s right for your organization

• Common telecommuting pitfalls – and how to avoid them

• How to make sure your stay-at-home workers are safe and productive

• Why you need to consider wage/hour and workers’ compensation laws when implementing a telecommuting program

• How to effectively handle workers who want to work from home but aren’t good candidates for it

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Proprietary Slide 5 © Hampton Resources 0510

Telecommuting as a True

Workplace Alternative

• Variety of Forms Depending on the Needs of

both the Employers and Employees

• The Availability of more Affordable Technology

has led Companies to Consider Telecommuting

as an Alternative Work Arrangement

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Telecommuting Options

• Expanding telecommuting to teleworking

demonstrates more options not limited to home

based work:

– Satellite offices

– Hotelling

– Virtual/ Mobil Offices

– Teleservices

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Key Retention Benefits

• Include:

– improved work environment;

– increased productivity;

– more autonomy;

– greater lifestyle flexibility;

– reduced stress;

– work satisfaction;

– motivation; and

– decreased transportation, food, and clothing costs

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Key Employer Benefits

• Saves office space

• Reduces overhead costs

• Increased productivity

• Additional recruitment and retention options

• Reduces business disruptions

• Increased profits

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Proprietary Slide 9 © Hampton Resources 0510

Challenges

• Social isolation for the telecommuter

• Workaholism can lead to burnout

• Inability for the teleworker to separate personal from work or business needs

• At least the perception of reduced career and promotional opportunities

• Supervisory challenges including control of work and coordination of workweek

• Security of information and files

• Lack of group stimulation and impromptu discussions

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Proprietary Slide 10 © Hampton Resources 0510

Common Pitfalls

• Technical Support

• Continued on next slide:

– Communication

– Supervision

– Expenses

– Liability

– Disclaimers

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Proprietary Slide 11 © Hampton Resources 0510

Common Pitfalls, Cont.

– Communication

– Continued on the next slide:

• Supervision

• Expenses

• Liability

• Disclaimers

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Proprietary Slide 12 © Hampton Resources 0510

Common pitfalls, cont.

• Supervision

– Continued on next slide:

• Expenses

• Liability

• Disclaimers

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Common pitfalls, cont.

• Expenses

• Liability

• Disclaimers

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Legal Considerations

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

• Fair Labor Standards Act

• Family Medical Leave Act

• Continued next slide:

– Occupational Safety and Health Act

– IRS

– Zoning

– Workers’ Compensation

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Legal considerations cont.

• OSHA

• IRS

• Zoning

• Workers’ Compensation

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Determining Suitability

• The right jobs

• The right workers

• Assessing candidates

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Proprietary Slide 17 © Hampton Resources 0510

Policy Considerations

• Supervisory and Office interaction

• Qualifications for the teleworker

• Select and properly train teleworkers and supervisors

• Plan for technical equipment and support for the teleworker network

• Develop a written agreement between the teleworker and the employer

• Regular review and evaluation

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Proprietary Slide 18 © Hampton Resources 0510

Policy Considerations,

continued • Be Prepared for the onslaught of requests to

telecommute and how to handle them

• Develop Consistent program standards

• Results Oriented performance management

system

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Proprietary Slide 19 © Hampton Resources 0510

Summary

• Identify tasks suitable for remote work

• Establish the ground rules

• Be prepared to enforce the policy

• Practice effective meeting management

• Provide effective support

• Manage all direct reports by results.

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Proprietary Slide 20 © Hampton Resources 0510

Questions

Cathleen M. Hampton

Hampton Resources

[email protected]

www.hamptonresources.com

(703) 794-9442