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Remote work and Teleworking Employee Checklist

Remote Work Teleworking Employee Checklist Search Remotely
Are you a work from home employee holding down a remote job? Has your supervisor provided you with ample guidance on what to do and what not to do when telecommuting? Maybe there are no ‘hard set’ guidelines. Perhaps your remote team leader wishes to play it by ear.  That may not be the best strategy if you are looking to keep your remote job.

Checklists are Essential Employee and Performance Management  Tools

For instance, when get your care serviced for an oil change, the mechanic uses a checklist. When you are audited by the IRS, the agent utilizes a checklist. Teachers and university professors, when scoring an essay assignment, employs a checklist or standardized scoring rubric. Shouldn’t we do the same? Particularly if we are concerned about maintaining our remote working arrangement?  Science Direct reports most work settings employing a list of ordered list of steps enjoy the following:

  • increase the likelihood of high product / service and work quality
  • improves of efficiency of teamwork
  • promote communication between client, employee, supervisor, C-suite
  • decrease the likelihood of variability and increase standardization of work performance
  • promote quality control
  • establish delineated steps (data points) for the collection of data and program / staff evaluation
  • give peace of mind to lessen chance of missed steps
  • ensure process and procedural integrity

Remote Work Telework Employee Checklist

If you haven’t been given a formal checklist, its ok.  We are here to help you. We have created a checklist to which you can refer so that you don’t take a walk on a short plank and place your remote job in jeopardy. This check list is a ‘must have’ for new staff embarking on the journey of remote work, career transitioners and employees nearing retirement age who wish to extend their shelf life.

Other blogs with related information:

Checklist 1: Before Signing a Telework Agreement

  • Obtain a copy of your employer’s remote work / hybrid work / telework policy, the first place to look, “Employee Handbook”
  • Schedule a meeting with your supervisor to discuss the features of remote work / hybrid / telework and to review together, the employer’s remote work policy
  • Ask for clarification in the way in which your supervisor interprets some elements of the telework policy that may be discretionary (at the discretion of the individual supervisor)
  • Review each element of the draft telework agreement (consider initialing each line item)
    • Who is your direct supervisor ?
    • What is his/her preferred method of communication ?
    • What are the required ‘group / team’ activities, how often are mandatory meetings held ?
    • What is the preferred method of participation ?
    • What are the procedures / tools/ process for submitting work
    • What is the ‘chain of command’ or ‘communication tree’ in the event the direct supervisor is unavailable
  • Consider hiring a private employment attorney to review the telework agreement before affixing your signature for counsel on:
    • Restrictions on work location / work region
    • Restrictions on side / part time employment
    • Restrictions on dependent care while working
    • Restrictions on travel while working
    • Required permissions to be obtained before
      • Relocating
      • Traveling
      • Taking PTO
      • Changing schedule
    • Negotiations on
      • Duration of telework agreement (start/end date)
      • Work schedule
      • Advance notice of changes in schedule
      • Advance notice of travel
      • Dependent care

Checklist 2: Maintaining the telework arrangement

  • After affixing signature to telework agreement
    • Participate in mandatory device/computer application training
    • Participate in mandatory cyber security/ data protection/ data privacy training
  • Imprint upon your memory the specific actions or inactions considered fireable offenses
    • Inaccessibility
    • AWOL
    • Rating of nonperformance
    • Misconduct (drug, alcohol use while on the job, harassment, unethical behavior, offensive posts on social media, unprofessionalism)
    • Insubordination
  • Understand the disciplinary procedures, timeline and process
  • Find out if any employee / employer disagreements are resolved with:
    • Mediation
    • Arbitration
    • Third Party Fact Finding
    • Courts system
  • Ensure that company-owned equipment, peripherals, and devices are handled with care and used for work tasks
  • Maintain full 360 degree accessibility during regular duty hours (telephone, e-mail, instant messaging (SMS), corporate internal network, or other communication app as determined by your supervisor)
  • Obtain supervisor’s approval for any worksite changes and/or changes to your daily schedule
  • Notify your employer within one hour about issues that prevent you from completing your remote job tasks and/or participating in meetings ( internet outages, blue screen computer and other device malfunctions, ill dependents or other family members, death, etc)
  • Follow all human resource guidelines and procedures for requesting earned PTO, sick leave, vacation and holiday
  • Notify your immediate supervisor within two weeks of your intention to utilize earned PTO, sick leave, vacation and holiday time prior to obtaining approval
  • Refrain for using earned PTO, sick leave, vacation and holiday time until written approval as been provided to you
  • Report within 24 hours any cyber security, data breaches, phishing incidents in accordance with your employer’s personnel manual
  • Maintain professionalism while working (abstain from written, verbal and nonverbal mannerisms) that may lead to allegations of harassment in accordance with your employer’s personnel manual
  • Establish firm boundaries with family and friends during the workday
  • Know and be able to follow emergency business continuity plans in the event of a disaster, crisis, or emergency as referenced in the employee staff handbook

Checklist 3: Dissolution of the Telework agreement

  • Inform your supervisor verbally and in writing of your decision to terminate the telework agreement, or
  • Seek to obtain, in writing, your employer’s decision to terminate the telework agreement, ask
    • What are the grounds
    • Request to see the data supporting the decision
    • Ask who else or how many others were impacted also
    • Is the decision temporary or permanent
    • Is there monetary compensation for the material change in job
    • Is the company offering EAP (employee assistance program)
    • Are there alternatives:
      • Re-assignment
      • RTO
      • Relocation

 

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