If managing a remote employee feels harder than managing someone down the hall, you’re not imagining it. When you can’t rely on quick drop-ins, “everyone knows this” norms, or casual visibility, small misunderstandings turn into slowdowns, frustration, and missed deadlines.
Remote work can take a lot of forms, including flexible schedules and employees who work away from a central workplace more often than you’d think. Employee preference is also clear. A recent study found that 71% of workers prefer to work fully remote, yet in the US, only a third of employees who can work from home do.
A clear remote work policy helps you put structure behind those realities, without overcomplicating things. In this article, we’ll walk through who may be considered a remote worker, plus the key elements you’ll want in writing to support communication, expectations, and performance.
Why Having a Remote Work Policy Matters
Even if you’re not planning to go “fully remote,” it’s still important to have remote work policies in place for several reasons:
- Having clear guidelines in place for remote work helps companies adapt quickly without scrambling to create policies under pressure.
- Effective remote policies that protect both the employer and the employee boost job satisfaction, which results in improved employee retention and productivity.
- Providing structured remote work policies improves communication, sets expectations, and allows for performance management, leading to a more efficient and engaged workforce.
Who Is Considered a Remote Worker?
Most people think “remote” means an employee who works from home full-time. In practice, remote work often includes anyone who performs some or all of their work away from a central workplace. For many employers, remote work also includes flexible schedules, such as adjusted start and stop times or occasional work-from-home days.
Here are common situations where an employee may be considered a remote worker, even if the company doesn’t describe them that way:
- Fully remote: The employee does 100% of their work from home and is never expected to go into an office. This is especially common for businesses that choose not to have a centralized workspace.
- Hybrid: The employee does some work from home and some work at the office. The percentage of remote work versus in-office work varies by employee preference and company policy.
- Remote option: The company has a centralized workplace, but allows some remote work and encourages employees to spend at least part of their time on-site. This may also include employees who work from home when they have a sick child or other household obligations.
- Temporarily remote: The employee works remotely for a temporary period, such as during an office renovation, with the expectation they will return to the office at a designated time.
- “Remote in practice” roles: The employee is rarely at the main workplace due to how the job works (for example, rotating locations, traveling, working across sites), even if they are not labeled as remote. The same communication and expectation issues can show up here, which is why policy clarity still matters.
Key Elements of an Effective Remote Work Policy
A remote work policy can’t just say “you’re allowed to work from home” and call it done. If it doesn’t spell out how your team communicates, what’s expected day to day, and how performance will be evaluated, you’re only doing half the job, and leaving managers and employees to fill in the gaps on their own.
Here are three elements to include when writing your own remote work policies.
1. Communication Protocols
With face-to-face interaction off the table for most communication, it is really important for businesses to create communication protocols that will support work completed by remote teams.
Here are four elements that support clear communication for remote workers:
- Scheduled check-ins and meetings: Establish regular team meetings, one-on-ones, and status updates using video conferencing tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams to help employees stay engaged and aligned with company goals.
- Preferred communication channels: Define which platforms should be used for different types of communication. For example, Slack for quick messages or urgent matters, email for formal communication, and project management tools for tasks that can be completed asynchronously.
- Response time expectations: Set clear guidelines on the expected response times for emails, chat messages, and project updates to prevent communication bottlenecks.
- Documentation and handoffs: Decide where work lives (files, project boards, shared docs) and how updates are documented, so tasks don’t stall when people are working different schedules.
2. Work Expectations
Setting clear work expectations for remote employees begins with establishing defined roles and responsibilities along with performance metrics right from the start. Employees need to understand their specific responsibilities along with project deadlines and how they will be evaluated for their work.
To keep expectations clear, many employers document:
- Roles and responsibilities (what the employee owns, and what they don’t)
- Project guidelines and deadlines (how work is assigned and when it’s due)
- Key performance indicators (KPIs) (how success will be measured)
- Work start and stop times and days of the week (what “availability” means on your team)
Written job descriptions alongside project guidelines and KPIs helps eliminate confusion and maintain alignment among all team members.
3. Performance Metrics to Evaluate Performance
For remote employees, it is especially important to focus on results, rather than hours worked. Performance metrics help track remote employees’ productivity, progress, and goals. These metrics keep remote workers accountable, while highlighting their strengths and identifying areas for improvement.
Performance metrics such as quality of work, Net Promoter Score (NPS), Human Capital ROI, sales performance, and absenteeism can all be helpful.
How To Write a Remote Work Policy
Use this as a starting point for your remote work policy. The goal is not to overcomplicate it, it’s to make the “rules of the road” obvious for managers and employees.
1) Eligibility and remote work structure
- Who is eligible for remote work: [teams, roles, criteria]
- Remote structure used: [fully remote, hybrid, remote option, temporarily remote]
- Approved work locations: [home office, co-working, other]
- Flexible scheduling note (if applicable): [what is allowed, what is not]
Example language:
- “Remote work arrangements may be approved based on role responsibilities and business needs.”
- “Employees approved for remote work are expected to maintain a consistent work schedule and meet performance expectations.”
2) Communication protocols
- Required meetings: [weekly team meeting, 1:1 cadence, etc.]
- Primary channels: [Slack, email, project tool]
- Response times: [guidelines for chat and email]
- Documentation: [where tasks, decisions, and files live]
Example language:
- “Employees should use [channel] for urgent matters and [channel] for formal updates.”
- “Project updates will be documented in [tool] to support alignment and accountability.”
3) Work expectations
- Core responsibilities: [role summary]
- Deadlines and delivery expectations: [how work is assigned, how due dates work]
- Availability: [start/stop times, working days, time zone expectations]
- Time off and schedule changes: [how to request, how to notify]
Example language:
- “Employees are responsible for communicating schedule changes in advance when possible.”
- “Managers and employees will review priorities regularly to ensure deadlines are met.”
4) Performance metrics
- Outcomes that matter most: [quality, sales, NPS, etc.]
- How performance is tracked: [cadence, reporting method]
- Review rhythm: [monthly, quarterly, project-based]
Example language:
- “Performance is evaluated based on results and agreed-upon goals, not hours worked.”
- “Managers will review performance metrics with employees on a regular basis to support improvement and development.”
Seay Management Can Help with Custom Policies
Seay Management provides a broad range of HR services designed to support your business’s growth and ensure compliance with all state and federal employer regulations. From compensation management to employee handbook development to on-site training, and more, our team is here to help you in every aspect of human resources so you can get on with running your business.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your business with a custom remote work policy that fits with the times.
Please note: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Seay Management Consultants makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of the information contained herein.
Seay Management Consultants disclaims all liability for any actions taken or not taken based on the information in this article. Readers are solely responsible for their own interpretation and use of this information.
