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The Innovative Workplace Telecommuting that works Start slow and establish clearly defined expectations By Don Phin The virtual workforce is here. According to various statistics there are as many as 26 million telecommuters in this country, and many of them work at insurance agencies. The exact number of telecommuters is hard to identify, primarily because of differences in the definition of telecommuter. According to the United States Office of Personnel Management's Guide to Telework in the Federal Government: "The term 'telework' or 'teleworking' refers to a work flexibility arrangement under which an employee performs the duties and responsibilities of such employee's position, and other authorized activities, from an approved worksite other than the location from which the employee would otherwise work." Close to one-third of all U.S. employers allow some form of telecommuting. The purpose of this column is to help your agency develop or refine its telecommuting program. In my experience, the greatest challenge in this area is management's fear that they can't control the remote worker and that productivity will suffer as a result. Other concerns are security, home life interference, inadequate technology, and the lack of face-to-face interaction. The benefits of telecommuting include lower overhead, time and money saved by not having to commute, flexibility for employees with families, and a broader employee pool. If you are considering a telecommuting initiative, start by identifying your reasons for initiating the arrangement, the potential benefits, and the risks. Your reasons may include: • Enhancing recruiting and retention capabilities • Improving the quality of employees' work/life balance • Improving productivity and client service • Reducing facility requirements, maintenance costs, air pollution, and/or traffic congestion • Targeting new labor markets • Accommodating employees with disabilities Clearly defined expectations for both the agency and the employees are keys to implementing a successful telecommuting program. Managers and supervisors should state program requirements in a telecommuting policy, which the agency should develop before entering into a written telecommuting agreement with each participating employee. If you would like copies of these documents, e-mail me at don@hrthatworks.com. Position suitability The essential functions of a position determine its suitability for telecommuting. Suitable positions generally involve tasks that can be performed independently, with minimal resources and supervision. For example, many brokers telecommute, as do some CSRs and claims managers, depending on their specific job requirements. Unsuitable positions are generally those that involve regular interaction with other personnel or the public or that require materials or equipment that should not, or cannot, be removed from the primary work location. A preliminary review of position descriptions can help you identify those that are suitable for telecommuting. Positions found to be suitable should be designated as such in their job descriptions. When selecting employees to telecommute, you may find the following criteria helpful: • Candidates for participation must have a performance rating of "meets standards" or better. Other characteristics predictive of a successful telecommuter are a history of reliable and responsible discharge of work duties, the ability to establish priorities and manage time, and a documented record of self-motivation. • Participation in the program should be targeted to current employees who are familiar with agency operations. Individual department heads may identify special situations in which new employees will be allowed to participate. • In deciding whether to initiate a telecommuting program, managers and supervisors should consider its impact on other employees and the agency as a whole. Speak to those who work with telecommuters so you can understand their concerns. You don't want to create a clash of cultures. • For each prospective telecommuter, visit the home office to ensure that it is appropriately equipped and provides an environment that will promote successful performance. • Participation should be voluntary. The telecommuting arrangement will seldom require major changes in position descriptions other than the designation that the position is suitable for telecommuting. Management should, however, ascertain whether telecommuting would affect factors such as supervisory control or work environment. If telecommuting involves changes in an employee's duties, management should examine all factors for impact. Performance standards Managers should establish methods for evaluating work performed by telecommuters that include progress reporting and/or other procedures to facilitate employee-supervisor communication. Employee participation in developing performance standards is encouraged. Participating supervisors and employees should discuss and clearly define tasks and expectations. The performance standards for telecommuters should generally mirror traditional standards for their positions, with minor adjustments for unique circumstances encountered when working at home. Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) standards are used to evaluate employees based on performance, not presence. They should be considered for all employees, not just telecommuters. If these methods are not feasible because of the nature of a particular position, then performance should be evaluated according to expectations developed and refined through systematic progress reporting by the telecommuter. For example, in a situation in which a supervisor does not know how long a given work assignment should take, the supervisor can develop expectations based on progress reports of sufficient detail and breadth (e.g., how long it took the telecommuter to accomplish a given task). Where necessary and possible, additional information (such as how long non-telecommuting employees take to accomplish the same task) may be useful. To read an interesting ROWE case study at an agency, go to http://info.gorowe.com/case-study-ja-counter Risk factors The risk factors related to telecommuting are the same as those for the office setting—and then some: 1. Premises liability for family and guests (for example, tripping over a computer power cable, slipping in the driveway, and so on). 2. Workers compensation liability for the employee, who may be injured while lifting a computer or be electrocuted while working with power cables. 3. Lack of appropriate homeowners coverage and telecommuter endorsements. 4. Theft, misuse, or destruction of work equipment, or disputes over ownership of equipment. 5. Lack of appropriate work environment—noise, interruptions, poor ergonomics, inadequate lighting, and so on. 6. Difficulty in tracking hours of work, or failure to do so adequately. 7. Wage and hour exposure for overtime and travel time. 8. Cyber liability, privacy, theft, and other concerns related to proprietary information. 9. Fragmented agency culture and communication between telecommuters and non-telecommuters. 10. Lack of face time, lack of motivation, abuse of flexibility, loss of management/supervisory control. To mitigate these risk factors, take the following steps: 1. Assemble a team to create a telecommuting plan, policy, and agreement. Include HR and safety representatives, supervisors, and affected employees. 2. Distribute the telecommuting plan and policy. 3. Create a telecommuting request process and form. 4. Have each telecommuter sign the telecommuting agreement. 5. Stay in touch with telecommuters and schedule frequent visits to and contact with the office. 6. Define work hours and overtime protocols. 7. Define productivity expectations. 8. Visit the home office environment. Check for safety, security, and productivity concerns. 9. Make sure all appropriate insurance coverages are in place. 10. Record and report all home workplace injuries. 11. Control access to agency information and information systems. 12. Protect agency information (including personally identifiable information) and monitor information systems to identify vulnerabilities. 13. Protect information systems that are used for telecommuting and are not under the agency's control. 14. Safeguard wireless and other telecommunications systems that are used for telecommuting. 15. Prohibit inappropriate use of time or resources that violate agency policies, especially viewing, downloading, or exchanging pornography. Regulations and resources Remember that wage and hour laws apply to telecommuters too. You remain responsible for recording the work hours of non-exempt employees and paying for overtime, transportation to and from the office, and other obligations. Telecommuting is also used to accommodate employees with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The following links provide additional information: • JAN Telecommuting/Telework/Work at Home http://askjan.org/topics/telework.htm • The EEOC has a white paper on telecommuting as an accommodation. • The Hard Truth about Telecommuting www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2012/06/art3full.pdf • OSHA Home Based Workplaces Directive www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=DIRECTIVES&p_id=2254 • OSHA on reporting Home Workplace Injuries http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document? As with any new program, we suggest you begin by taking a telecommuting test drive. Start slow, work out the bugs, involve employees, and make it work for your agency! The author Don Phin is president of the Employer Advisors Network, Inc., and is the author of the "HR That Works" series of compliance and management products. He is the editor of "Employment Practices Liability Consultant" (EPLiC) published by IRMI. He can be contacted at www.donphin.com or at
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