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Managing staff who work from home

Supporting and managing staff

As an employer, you're responsible for supporting and managing your employees when they're in the workplace and when they're working remotely.

Whether employees are in the workplace or working from home, you'll need to consider:

  • how to manage performance
  • how to monitor performance
  • training and development
  • health, safety and wellbeing – including reasonable adjustments

Managing performance

You should consult your employees and their representatives about how performance will be managed.

Discuss and agree:

  • how to manage and measure performance
  • clear objectives
  • learning and development that can be done remotely
For example, an employer might agree to assess the quality of work done rather than the time an employee spends at their desk.

Managers who previously assessed performance in person might need different skills to manage employees working from home.

Supporting staff who are working from home

You should support your employees to help them:

  • motivate and organise themselves
  • have a good work-life balance
  • manage their time

This can help improve performance and reduce stress and anxiety.

Supporting new starters

You should help new starters settle in, so that they do not feel isolated.

For example, you could:

  • send them an induction pack
  • give them a clear schedule for their first week
  • set up meetings to introduce them to their colleagues
  • explain the organisation's structure and how their role fits in

If they will not be permanently working from home, you could give them information about the workplace.

Training

You should think about introducing training specifically for working from home and hybrid working, as well as making sure all staff have access to their usual training and development.

Training is important not just for staff who work from home. Consider how training could help their line managers.

Training could include:

  • communication skills
  • digital skills
  • making decisions about hybrid working
  • managing staff remotely
  • managing work-life balance
  • promoting equality
  • team building

Acas training for employers and managers

Acas provides training on managing performance and flexible working, including working from home and hybrid working.

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