For the company, creating a remote work policy is crucial because the current age of technology suggests this kind of work. Implementing a remote work policy can make them go along with the normal trend in jobs, and can make them have the benefits that they can get from it. But before they can give a remote work policy consideration, they have to be sure that the employee can follow the rules that are given to them in the agreement. Remote work is a little different than a normal job. The employee should be autonomous and should have the ability to work with minimal supervision. Well, there are certain things that a worker should consider before entering a remote work agreement. In this article, you can learn certain things about a remote work agreement. You will have some tips that you can use in working remotely. You will also know how to make a remote work agreement. Are these made you curious? If you are excited to know these things, get yourself relaxed and keep on reading!

24+ Sample Remote Work Agreement

What is a Remote Work Agreement?

A remote work agreement is a document that states the agreement between a remote worker and a company. It is a contract that states that the worker will work remotely, or from home and not on-site. It is also called a WFH agreement (Work From Home agreement) or telecommuting contract. The employee will be permitted to work from home, far from the office, under the employer’s remote work policy. A remote work agreement is an arrangement that can be negotiated at the hiring process of job applicants. They may opt to work from home because of certain reasons. Maybe they are tired of everyday traffic or just need to take care of their kids at home. Maybe they are saving the cost of expenses that they can have if they will travel to the office or they are simply just one of those nomads that is comfortable working from home. Whatever is the reason of workers from having a remote work, they have to ensure that they can follow the remote work policy of the company. Remote job is not always easy. You have to work by yourself and you are working far from the resources that you can get from the office. So, workers should ensure that they have the abilities to work remotely.

Sections of a Remote Work Agreement

The employee remote work agreement has key elements that you have to include in it. The agreement will not be complete without these things. As you are crafting the agreement, you have to ensure that you have pondered about these sections. These elements are the following:

Compensation and Benefits

You must be definite about the compensation of the remote worker. Be definite on the amount of the monthly salary. You must also tell the entitlements or the benefits that you have for a remote worker. State how employees can get these compensation and benefits. Have also some guidelines for renegotiation and taxes. These are important things for the employees because it were the fruits that they are expecting from their labor. Be clear about these things so the remote worker will have nothing to dispute about in the future.

Work Arrangement

In this section, you have to be clear about the work schedule of the employees. Be definite about their working hours. You should also inform them of the workflow and how they will collaborate with other workers. You will tell if there are mandatory meetings and how they will be graded with the performance evaluation. It is essential that you will inform them on the things about their work arrangement so that they will know what to do on the time of their work, having the truth that they will work far from the office.

Connectivity

Because the employee is far from the office, you should have to ensure the means on how you can communicate with them and how they can do the work. It is essential that the employee should give a telephone number so it will be easy for the company to contact them. Internet connectivity is also a must. They need these things to do their work and to collaborate with other co-workers. They have to find a means on how they can have a virtual meeting.

Equipment and Software

Telecommuting agreement should discuss about the equipment and software programs that they ca provide for the remote worker. The employee needs tools in technology and software in project management. They need some device that they can use for their work. In case the company will not provide these things, they have to state that in the agreement. They should also provide technical support for the employee because they are telecommuting.

Travel Expenses

Reimbursements for travel expenses should be also clear in the WFH agreement. Sometimes, the employee needs to go to the office to attend meetings and have on-site visits. In this section, you should be definite on how they can request for funds for travel and other miscellaneous expenses.

Tips in Remote Work Agreement

Do you want to have some tips on doing a remote work and having a remote work agreement? We can provide some tips that you can use for your telecommuting work. Read the tips below:

Always have time to communicate. In this age that the number of remote workers is increasing, we must learn the secret of successful remote working. And that is to communicate. According to statistics, 61% of the employees wants to work remotely, and if they do not have the skills to communicate effectively, they will not be good in this kind of job. It is essential that remote workers can collaborate with their teams. They should be good in communicating with their co-workers and subordinates. Even more so, if they have to deal with clients. They should always give some time for communication so that they will know how they can improve their work. They can also resolve problems easier if they will always have time to communicate. It is one key that they should learn because they are working remotely.Prepare equipments you need to work remotely. Not all companies provide equipments for their employees. Sometimes, employees have to provide the equipment themselves. Research said that only 76% of the hired remote workers have the equipment that they need to do the work. If you are decided to work from home because it will be comfortable for you, the first thing that you have to consider are the things that you can use for remote working. There are companies that give the necessary tools, but if you are not lucky enough, you have to buy your own equipment before you work. It is better that you will be prepared that you already have the things that you need because sometimes it is a requirement for remote working. So, if you really want to work from home, consider the things that you will need to do a remote job.Be clear with your expectations. You have to know that in remote working, there are some things that you need to clarify. You have to be clear about your work schedule and the workflow of your job. You should know how you can communicate to the team and how you can get feedback. You may also need to clarify when you will have another contract for renegotiations. You should know how the company will do a performance review, so you can be aware of the criteria to know how you can do your best. You should also know the objectives of your work and the mission of the company. These are important details that you should know first hand so that you will not be disappointed if ever.Establish a feedback culture. Communication in a remote work can be a little difficult, especially for workers who are in different timezones. To ensure that your work will be at its best, you must be sure on having feedback from your team. It will help you to do your work better and you can give solutions to the problems that you can encounter. Managers should always ask for feedback so that they will know how they can support the remote workers. They can build relationships between workers and they can build a good performance.Be a part of the culture of the company. You are working remotely and you do not have the chance to be with your co-workers. But it will not take you the chance to be a part of the company’s culture. Be familiar of it and prioritize it. Even as a remote worker, you can share in the vision of the company. You can adapt with the things that makes your company unique. Do some engagement strategy so that the culture will be built in you.Build trust with the team. Even if you are far from each other, you have to consider your team. You should be kind to them and build trust in your relationship. You should be friends with your co-workers even if you are working alone. Show kindness every time that you have a virtual meeting. You can also greet them in the chat everyday so that they can feel your presence even if you are far from them. It is essential that you make friends with your team. Sometimes, you need to ask them for some things. So, open communication is something important.

How to Make a Remote Work Agreement

Have you already made a work from home employment contract or a remote work agreement? Or are you wondering how to make a remote work employee agreement? Read the following steps so that you will have some idea on how to craft a remote work agreement:

Step 1: Know the remote works.

Not all jobs can be a remote work. You must first know if a job can be done from home or not. Think beforehand. If you can provide the equipment, can the remote worker do the job? Can the employee work alone without the presence of the team? If you are sure that the job can be done from home, then you have a remote job that you can put in the agreement. Prepare a remote work agreement form or find a remote work agreement template that you can use in making the agreement.

Step 2: Consider the rules. 

Remote workers are also your employees. You have to establish the company’s rules with them. You should be clear about the rules and regulations of the company with them. You should give them the Code of Ethics and the Professional Code of Conduct of the company. You should give them policies on attendance, sick leave, and with their cellphone. You should also introduce them to a confidentiality agreement and give them the employee handbook.

Step 3: Give work plans.

You should develop a work arrangement for the employee. Share to them the objectives of the company and tell their responsibilities. Make goals that can make the employee contribute to the whole team. Consider the technology and software that the employee needs. You have to ensure that they can do their work properly. Think of the technical support that you have to provide for them. Consider the communication that they should have to be a good member of the team. Create work plans so that it will be easier for them to do a remote work.

Step 4: Have security measures.

You have to discuss to the employees that they need to adhere to the confidentiality agreement of the company. They should not divulge any sensitive data that the company is protecting. You should also tell them that they have to set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network). You have to make some policies on the usage of VPN. They should also install a software on cyber security. It is a precaution for a remote workforce. Computers at home can be a compromise, so the company should have a security measure about this.

Step 5: Introduce compensation and benefits. 

Be clear about the compensation. It is what employees expect at work, so you have to be definite in this. You should also discuss about their benefits. Be clear about details on taxes and insurance. Then, after you have gathered everything that you have to for the agreement, you can now draft it. Consider a lawyer so that you will be sure that the agreement is in compliance with all the state laws. If it is okay, you can write the agreement using a remote work agreement template.

FAQs

What is a Remote Work Policy?

A remote work policy is the rule that a remote worker has to follow to not break the company rules and procedures. It gives rules on who can work remotely, how the work can be done, what the company will expect from them, how performance evaluation can be given to them, what are the supports that can be provided to them, and what are all their legal rights as a remote worker.

Are you encouraged to become a remote worker? Telecommuting has many benefits. If a person can try it, he or she will never want to work in the office again. You can try to be a remote worker. Just before you enter into a remote work agreement, be sure that you can comply to all the rules of the company. Well, do you need a template on remote work agreement? This post has 24+ SAMPLE Remote Work Agreement in PDF | MS Word. You can select from any of these templates. Download now! And make a remote work agreement!