How To Offer Location Flexibility to Your Employees

When employers can offer their employees the option to work from home, everybody wins. It may not work for a person’s job to become 100% virtual, but flexibility is a benefit prized by many. Allowing an employee to work partly from home can make it easier for them to balance work and life, resulting in happier, more loyal employees. Here are some ways you can give your employees more location flexibility.

When your employees are using their computers away from the office, they need to securely log in to the office network to access files and software. A VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection between the employee’s computer and the office network. Once the VPN is set up, each employee installs a client-side VPN application on their computer, then logs in through that. If you do not have an in-house IT department, work with a company that provides remote support Suwanee GA to set up and maintain your VPN.

With some employees working away from the office, at least part of the time, more communication tools need to be added to the company’s toolbelt. You will need phone systems that can handle conference calling as well as video conferencing software. Many companies benefit from online collaborative project management software that employees can access from anywhere.

Be sure that your managers and employees are clear on what is allowed and what is expected regarding remote work arrangements. When everyone is on the same page regarding the division of time between home and work, misunderstandings are rare. Employees should also know how their managers will assess the quality of their work on the days they’re not in the office. Whether you use detailed time tracking, progress reports, or some other metric, be sure that everyone understands the system from the outset.

Offering location flexibility to your employees can be a great way to keep valued workers happy on the job. Preparation is key to making this arrangement work for all involved.