Attendance Policy for Remote Employees

For the longest time, a traditional mindset ruled the working culture globally – the legacy rule of coming to the office for work. Most employers believed that there would be a loss of productivity in the absence of constant supervision. Remote working was considered synonymous with a less efficient and distracted workforce. 

However, with the onset of a global pandemic, the work scenario changed drastically. Global lockdowns forced employees everywhere to conduct their daily work routine from the comfort and safety of their homes. 

This sudden transition in the work paradigm affected all businesses worldwide. Both employers and employees had gotten accustomed to the work-from-model, fuelled by advanced digital technologies. A significant portion of the global workforce was unwilling to return to the traditional work mandate – working from a physical office. According to a 2022 Amazon Business Return to Office report, nearly 57% of the employees preferred a hybrid working system. Out of the 1600 respondents, only 12% of employees wanted to return to the old system. 

As the remote working model gained ground, organizations started rethinking their attendance policy for remote employees. 

This blog will highlight the advantages of remote working and offer valuable tips on designing an efficient attendance policy for remote employees.

Advantages of Remote Working

Employers can use remote hiring to their advantage. 

Convincing a large chunk of remote employees to return to the office is an expensive affair. The 2022 Amazon Business Return to Office survey reports that employees need the following incentives to return –

• Increase in pay
• Flexible working hours
• Longer paid vacations
• Better employee benefits

Fulfilling these demands is sure to strain a company’s finances. Also, constant persistence to return to the office may result in higher attrition rates. The 2022 ADP Research Institute survey reported that out of 32,000 surveyees, nearly two-thirds (64%) of employees would rather quit than return to the office. 

Contrarily, if employers keep an open mindset and adopt a hybrid working model, they can capitalize on the advantages offered by remote employees. 

Some of the pros of having a remote workforce for employers are – 

• Remote work results in an improved work-life balance for most employees. This, in turn, boosts their morale and job satisfaction, resulting in higher productivity.
• Remote working also results in lower employee turnover rates. Happy employees help build a better brand reputation by acting as the company’s brand ambassadors.
• Hiring remote employees lets employers access a much wider international talent pool. They can source and onboard professionals from any corner of the world.
• With a diversified workforce, employers benefit from multiple perspectives and inputs from their global teams. It enhances the company’s decision-making process.
• Working remotely saves employees’ travel time to the office, allowing them to redirect it towards their professional or personal commitments. It also reduces the company’s overhead costs significantly.

Guidelines for Formulating Attendance Policy for Remote Employees

Every organization has a time and attendance policy for its employees. This policy spells out everything employees must know and abide by concerning attendance, work hours, time-offs, and holidays. While implementing an attendance policy is a straightforward process for physical office set-ups, it is relatively complex for virtual workspaces. 

Usually, a remote workforce is diverse. It includes employees spread across a vast geographical expanse. Such global teams regularly collaborate via a telecommunication setup and frequent video calls. Naturally, employers must manage remote teams differently from their in-office employees. This includes the remote workers’ attendance policy as well. It should be designed in a way that allows employees to maximize their productivity without hampering their work-life balance.

While formulating a successful attendance plan for remote employees, companies must keep the following guidelines in mind – 

• Introduction to the policy

An introduction is the first impression of the policy. It should be detailed and re-checked to avoid ambiguities or loopholes. 

The introduction should explain which areas are covered under the policy and why the rules are mandatory. Essentially, the introduction explains the purpose of the attendance policy to your employees. 

• Scope of the policy

This section details which employees come under the rules and regulations specified in the policy. A standard attendance policy usually covers all the employees (part-time, full-time, interns) of an organization, barring executives and independent contractors. 

• Working schedule and hours

An attendance policy for remote employees should minutely state the working hours applicable for regular business days. The policy should spell out the working schedule, excluding public holidays and day-offs. 

It is crucial to consider the different time zones of your global team while creating the policy. Employers should ensure that all team members get a common timeframe to collaborate across different time zones. Such a work schedule facilitates a smooth operation. 

• Time and GPS tracking

While remote working has its perks, a challenging aspect for employers is monitoring their employees’ time. Working from home means there is no direct or constant supervision. Often, many employees take this opportunity to complete their personal work on company time while getting paid for the hours. 

Hence, most companies use time tracking tools and software to track employee hours and productivity. They can also use GPS tracking to ensure that field workers are in their appropriate work locations. However, employers must mention these monitoring measures upfront in the attendance policy. 

• Updating work schedules and leave applications

One section of the attendance policy should specify how employees can apply for leaves or inform their team about work updates. Smaller organizations can use communication applications, such as Whatsapp, Telegram, or emails for doing so. 

However, it becomes crucial for large corporations with a diverse workforce to have dedicated communication channels for easier collaboration (for example, Slack). Hence, employers should formulate the policy keeping their company and workforce size in mind to avoid future complexities. 

• Penalties

Disciplinary measures and penalties form a vital part of any company policy. Employees should be notified of the corrective actions that the company will take to tackle discrepancies in attendance or working hours. Mention the measures your company will take (fines, suspension, termination, etc.) against specific charges or issues. 

Tips for a Successful implementation of Employee Attendance Policy

While a comprehensive attendance policy is necessary for remote employees, employers should also consider a few unwritten rules. Since HR management policies have evolved, companies must adopt a modern and flexible approach to team management and communication.

Here are some proven tips to streamline your employee attendance policy:

• Try to be understanding about the issues your employee might be facing. Not all absence deserves to be met with harsh measures.
• Manage employee absence efficiently so that working employees do not feel the burden of their colleague’s absence.
• Opt for a smart system that allows smooth communication and cooperation among remote employees.
• Be clear about your expectations from the very beginning to gain the trust of your employees.
• Collect and analyze absent employee data to formulate your working schedule optimally.

Thus, while creating the employee attendance policy, a thoughtful approach will ensure a smooth transition from real-time offices to virtual ones. 

Conclusion

With changing times, organizations must also reshape their approaches to accommodate the needs of a dynamic and diverse workforce. In the post-pandemic era, where remote work is the norm, employers and employees can benefit from a comprehensive and inclusive attendance policy. It stands particularly true of all global corporations operating across borders.