Deutsche Bank. Policy Implementation Guideline: Telecommuting

Transcription

1 Deutsche Bank Policy Implementation Guideline: Telecommuting

2 TELECOMMUTING I. Definition: Work from home or anywhere other than the home office enabled by information and communications technology. II. Important Considerations: Proper policy, system controls and reporting must be in place prior to implementation. Culture of trust and output focus within the organisation is a critical enabler for a successful implementation of telecommuting. A degree of control over this FWA is needed depending on the company s policies (security system, clock in hours, reporting). Employees have to be connected and contactable at all times during business hours. The telecommuting work arrangement is exercised with the expectation that the job responsibilities can be successfully completed within the defined time period regardless of work location. The telecommuting work arrangement should be reviewed at least once per year. Employees have to complete the Technology Checklist for home equipment such as laptops and WiFi connectivity. III. Policy Guidelines: Eligibility: All full time employees with work tasks that can be completed off-site (e.g. operations support, sales) Application and Approval Process: A typical application process for telecommuting work arrangement; a. Eligible employees intending to apply for telecommuting work arrangement should discuss their intentions with their immediate supervisor. b. Employees should then apply in writing directly to the relevant approving authority and copy the appropriate individuals. c. The employee should include in the application: Intended duration of telecommuting work arrangement Reasons supporting approval of the telecommuting work arrangement. A formal approval process is required for each individual application that takes into account: a. Employee s job responsibilities. 1

3 b. Employee s eligibility. c. Accountability and reporting structure d. Dependency on other co-workers, managers, internal or external customers e. Access to sensitive or confidential information f. Access to data or sensitive information while away from work. g. Access to software and hardware requirements to support work from home. h. The impacts to the business and the requesting employee. i. Clear communication of expectations. Review of Telecommuting Work Arrangement: a. The telecommuting work arrangement should be reviewed regularly against business needs. b. The employee and supervisor must agree on a review timeline prior to commencing the telecommuting work arrangement in order to evaluate effectiveness of the arrangement. c. Supervisor and HR may enhance or discontinue the policy in alignment with business needs. Expectations of Employees on Telecommuting Work Arrangement: a. Employees on a telecommuting work arrangement will not be excluded from being staffed on out-of-town projects and/or from having to travel as and when required by the business. b. Employees utilising the option are accountable of delivering proven quality of work. c. Employees utilising the option is expected to remain accessible over phone in order to attend to urgent work related matters within the defined working hours. d. Employees utilizing this option should choose a location that is feasible and conducive with no disruption. e. Employees should not consider the option an entitlement and will not abuse the privilege. Rewards and Salary: Typically, telecommuting work arrangement will not have an impact on the employee s salary and bonus. Performance Management: The employer s standard performance management process will continue to apply for employees telecommuting work arrangement. 2

4 Checklist for Employers: Define eligibility of workforce and employees. Develop communication to share the intent of the initiative with eligible employees. Develop Technology Checklist as a guide to employees to ensure laptops, internet connection and other office equipment are adequately setup from home / alternative work location. Encourage eligible employees to initiate request for this arrangement from immediate supervisor. Prepare Work From Home schedule. Share schedule and checklist with the team. Employee and supervisor agree on a review timeline at least once during the business year. Monitor utilisation and effectiveness of telecommuting work arrangement to ensure it does not impact the focus on work delivery and quality of the participating employee. Outline performance improvement process if employees do not adhere to the terms and conditions of telecommuting. 3

5 Technology Checklist Sample: Please confirm the following items are in place prior to commencing telecommuting work arrangement Getting Connected: Stable internet service connectivity. Hardware and Software: Laptop or computer. Headphones and microphones. Webcams (for video conferencing). Pre-installed work-related software. VPN (if applicable). Security: Keep software up-to date to prevent hackers from exploiting security flaws (operating systems, web browsers, third-party plug-ins and other software). Prevent identify theft by protecting account numbers, and other personal information. Turn on personal firewalls. Run antivirus software. Back up files to minimize risk of losing important files. Home Office Equipment: Telephone or VoIP technology (internet-based phone service). Surge protector. Printer or multipurpose machine. External hard disk. 4