Long-Term Remote Work: 3 Adjustments for HR to Consider
The global health pandemic has reshaped where, how and when we do our work. Many employers are beginning to accept that remote work is not just a temporary work arrangement, but a long-term solution for employees whose job function can be completed outside a traditional office setting.
These are just a few points for HR to consider now that many employees are making the transition from an on-site position to a long-term remote work arrangement:
- Adjusting Job Descriptions — When/if a remote employee decides to leave the institution, what needs to be updated in the job description before seeking new candidates? Is there verbiage that needs to change now that the position is remote rather than on-site?
- Rethinking Employee Benefits and Job Perks — Employers often boast of the many job perks and benefits available to employees. At your institution, this may have looked like free access to the campus gym, vacation days or paid-time off, and annual performance bonuses. Now, employees rarely (if at all) utilize the campus gym due to growing health concerns; with the increasing work load, they aren’t able to take time off; and due to budget cuts, performance bonuses are no longer a guarantee. It’s time to get creative with remote employee benefits and job perks now that many of the previous perks are no longer applicable.
- Assessing How Performance Evaluations Are Conducted — How do performance evaluations need to change based on remote work? Can remote employees be relied upon to accurately self-evaluate their performance now that their managers aren’t there to monitor their work?
Have you implemented a successful idea at your institution that helps answer some of the questions above? Be sure to share them with your higher ed HR peers in the General Discussion Group in CUPA-HR Connect.
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