5 steps to successful telework implementation
Few companies have escaped it recently, and telecommuting has had to be introduced, sometimes out of obligation and in a hurry.
But the trend towards telecommuting preceded the health crisis, and the law has adapted to this new way of working.
Telecommuting charter, telecommuting rider: what conditions need to be met in order to organize your business remotely and intelligently?
It's not too late to get it right. Here's a 5-step guide to successful and sustainable telecommuting.
1 - Consult employees
🕵️♂️ Gather their expectations, needs and questions, for example via a questionnaire on telecommuting.
Some will want to :
- work mainly from the office, and benefit from exceptions to organize their personal schedules in the event of strikes or childcare problems ;
- others may want a more regular arrangement, with all Wednesdays teleworked,
- still others, rarer according to the latest studies, will demand a maximum telecommuting rhythm in order to become digital nomads.
You won't be able to accommodate all requests, but you'll get a general trend, so you can be guided towards the formula that's most satisfying for everyone.
What's more, there's nothing to prevent you from dealing with exceptional requests and profiles on a case-by-case basis, even if a certain degree of consistency facilitates HR communication and understanding.
2 - Bring together team leaders, management and the HR department
🧐 On the steering side, it's equally important to consult team managers and all other members who will be involved in framing the teleworking project.
For example, the IT department (information systems department) must consider the connection to the various teleworking tools, data security and the acquisition of suitable software, in consultation with all managers.
The human resources department, for its part, will draw up a telecommuting charter or company agreement, in agreement with management, to set out best practices and the obligations of each party.
3 - Experiment and communicate
👌 A test phase can be carried out in parallel with the consultation of employees, managers and the CSE (even though the latter cannot oppose a teleworking project).
During this period, the duration of which is determined and communicated, managers continue to collect the opinions of employees, in order to adjust the conditions if necessary.During this period, the duration of which is determined and communicated, managers continue to gather feedback from employees, so as to adjust teleworking conditions if necessary, and compensate for any circumstances not foreseen in the initial discussions.
It is also important to communicate about remote management:
- the types of controls that are planned, such as a sworn declaration of compliance with working hours;
- the new processes to be followed for reporting on tasks in progress or completed, within a department or transversally, etc.
4 - Equip yourself to telework well
🔑 Right from the test phase, it's vital to be well equipped to ensure continuity of business performance. This is the key to a sustainable and successful teleworking implementation.
Fortunately, you can start with free evaluation versions of software recommended by the IT department and/or operational managers.
Not only do you need to be as efficient remotely as you are face-to-face, but you also need to ensure collaboration and teamwork, in complete security.
There's no secret to this: online collaborative tools are just the thing:
- corporate social networks
- chat and videoconferencing tools,
- task manager,
- document sharing,
- password management and remote access,
- office suite, etc.
They're numerous, specialized or all-in-one, and hosted in the cloud, so they're accessible anywhere, anytime. 👍
5 - Regularly monitor employee well-being
🔎 Employees may experience difficulties due to a lack of social contact or unsuitable equipment, leading to musculoskeletal disorders for example.
Generally speaking, it's vital to listen carefully and to identify any slackness in performance, through annual or even monthly interviews, or occasional surveys.
Well-being at home is just as important and decisive for motivation and productivity as well-being in the office.
Setting up teleworking: what does the law say?
What are the conditions for teleworking?
The French Labor Code does not lay down any specific criteria or conditions for telecommuting. However, it is worth remembering that teleworking is not a right, and that the employer can decide which categories of staff can benefit from it.
To define the conditions of teleworking, the HR department can also draw up a teleworking rider, but this is not compulsory (only the employee's agreement, even if oral, is), and has not been since the law on strengthening social dialogue came into force.
Nevertheless, whatever the document, telework charter or rider, the aim is to specify :
- the frequency of teleworking,
- authorized telework locations,
- approval criteria (application procedures, mandatory days of presence, teams concerned), etc.
Where can teleworking take place?
The law does not impose any specific teleworking location, so it's up to the employer to set the limits.
Home, coworking space, telecenter, third-location - the only requirement is that the space offers satisfactory working conditions, including a good Internet connection.
This also applies to local civil servants. A decree, which came into force on May 6, 2020, gives them the right to work in a private place or for professional use.
Who has to provide the equipment for teleworking?
The law stipulates that if remote working is imposed, except in cases of force majeure (such as Covid), it is the employer's duty to equip its employees so that they benefit from the same working conditions as in the office.
What about expenses incurred by telecommuting employees? Employees can claim reimbursement, on presentation of proof, if the expenses have been incurred in order to be able to work properly, even if the confinement was not the company's intention.
Most organizations that introduced telecommuting before the health crisis included a lump-sum telecommuting bonus in their rider or company agreement. Remember to anticipate this type of question, as it is very likely to become the norm 😉
Setting up telecommuting to anticipate tomorrow
The general observation is that nobody expected telecommuting to accelerate to such an extent, and the companies that fared best had anticipated this new trend.
Even the law transforming the civil service introduced the possibility of occasional telecommuting.
Whether you adopt it on a permanent or temporary basis, and whether it's for one day a week or full remote, even to the point of remote recruitment telecommuting in your organization and analyze the pros and cons, the successes and failures.
You'll have a good basis for setting up your work environment and adapting to new organizations over the long term, with peace of mind.
Article translated from French