Developing a Remote Work Policy

Research has shown that 86% of C-Suites and 60% of small business owners (SBOs) agree that the risk of a data breach is higher when employees work off-site than when they work at the office. However, despite security risk concerns, only 35% of SBOs have a policy in place for storing or disposing of confidential information while working off-site, while 54% of SBOs have no policy in place at all.

With remote working becoming a growing workplace trend, it is critical that you adopt a Remote Work Policy to keep your proprietary and confidential information secure at all times.

Here are 5 steps to help you to implement a Remote Work Policy at your organization:

1) Get Buy-in from Senior Management.
In order to implement this policy in your workplace, it’s best to have the support of senior management to encourage adoption and compliance.

2) Work with IT to Develop Remote Work Infrastructure
Work with IT to ensure that employees can connect to a secure VPN to remotely access their data. Make sure they are available to support remote workers throughout the day.

3) Create a Communication Plan to Share the New Policy with Team Members.
The communication plan should take into account the specific communication methods of your office. For some offices, email may be enough but for others, the communications may involve posters or town hall meetings.

4) Develop a Breach Notification Process.
Ensure that there is a clear and well understood process for employees to follow if a breach does occur. This is important as it will allow the business to act quickly to minimize the damage and take further preventative action.

5) Monitor and Update your Policy.
Conduct regular pulse surveys to monitor the adoption of the policy and to flag any concerns that may arise. Be sure to update your policy to reflect the feedback of the employees.

4 Ways to Stay Productive While Working Remotely

Take periodic breaks and exercise.
When working remotely, you might lose track of time. Ensure that you take periodic breaks for a snack or to stretch. This will refresh your mind and body and allow you to get back to work with some new energy.

Set up a workspace.
If you set up a specific area where you do work when you work from home, you will be able to associate that area with work. This way, your brain will be able to switch easily between work mode and home mode.

Develop a schedule and stick to it.
By organizing your day ahead of time, you will know what to prioritize for your day. In addition to this, you should know when it's time to shut down for the day to ensure your work-life balance remains intact.

Keep your technology up to date.
In today's digital workplace, it is essential to keep your devices and software updated. By doing so, you are able to access all the features and have them function as they should. If you suspect any problems, make it a priority to get them addressed with IT, so you can do your job as effectively as possible.

REMEMBER

Remote working doesn’t always mean working from home – you may end up working from coffee shops, or even airports. If you do, keep the following things in mind:

• Don’t use public wi-fi
• Don’t leave paper documents easily accessible
• Don’t leave company