This is a webinar from 2021, reflective upon the COVID-19 pandemic, but the principles and strategies mentioned are still applicable for remote employees and employers looking to remain fully compliant. 

1. POLICY

• • Employees may be directed to work from home in the event of a pandemic to minimize the likelihood of spreading the
  • XYZ Co will provide an employee with the necessary equipment and / or software at XYZ Co’s expense when the employee is directed to work from work and does not have the current technological infrastructure to do

2. PURPOSE
   • To ensure that key functions within the XYZ Co’s business can be conducted from employees’ homes or, other remote locations is the purpose of this statement of Policy and

3. SCOPE
   • This Statement of Policy and Procedure applies to all XYZ Co’s

4. RESPONSIBILITY
   • Throughout XYZ Co’s organization, the [Pandemic Liaison] is responsible for ensuring the consistent application and administration of this
   • The responsibility for facilitating the implementation of technological changes required for this policy is the [General Manager].

5. DEFINITIONS

None.

6. REFERENCES and RELATED STATEMENTS of POLICY and PROCEDURE

HR 2.17 BC – Flexible Work Arrangements

HR 6.10 BC – Emergencies and Business Interruptions

7. PROCEDURE
   • Human Resources will:
     • Ensure to identify the job responsibilities that can be performed by employees who work from
     • Ensure to identify those key employees and appropriate substitutes who will perform the
     • Ensure that proper training is given to those employees who work from home.
     • Ensure that proper training and resources are allocated to managers and supervisors in order to effectively manage and monitor employees remotely.
   • Information technology will:
     • Provide the hardware and software for those employees required to work at
     • Ensure employees are provided with corporate information resources they require and also ensure they have access with appropriate security measures in
     • Ensure existing IT infrastructure will have increasing traffic in the future and, as a result, a plan must be put in place to increase the capacity of the infrastructure to meet the need.
     • Meet standards of security for confidentiality of corporate, client and personal information in projected new
     • Rigorously test the new
   • Senior management will:
     • Ensure that policies are established for the purchase or lease, and maintenance of the required hardware and
     • Ensure that telework (work from home) agreements are in place with employees, managers and supervisors stipulating the terms and conditions of the arrangement and shall be signed by all parties.
     • Ensure the terms and conditions of employment with XYZ Co and the Collective Agreement are understood by all the parties applicable to the home work
     • Ensure there is proper supervision without being close in
     • Ensure that in the event a telecommuting arrangement is not working, to review and either modify or terminate.
     • On various telecommuting issues related to employees, supervisors and managers, clear guidelines must be
     • Rather than manage by observation, manage by objective and
   • Employees will:
     • Maintain good work habits when operating in the telecommuting
     • Employees do not need to devote an entire room to their office at home but need a safe location in their home free from
     • Get a work schedule for the days they telecommute and abide by the
     • The telecommuting agreement should begin and finish work at the same time on telecommuting days including an attachment for defining work
     • Ensure they keep themselves informed and continue to work at a high level of
     • Maintain effective, contact with the office or manager or supervisor during the telecommuting
     • Ensure access to their telephone and voice mail at Employees should arrange access to a telephone line and use an answering machine while working at home if there are problems or issues in the telecommuting process.
     • Arrangements must be made by employees to have XYZ Co’s business calls forwarded to the employee’s
     • Ensure reports are mailed on time including reports by e-mail. Deadlines must be met as if they were in the
     • Inform supervisors or managers, on a timely basis, about the status of the work / project and programs being worked on, progress and any difficulties encountered.
     • Whether online or at the office or any other designated location, always attend departmental or company gatherings and group
     • Train people at home to minimize interruptions during work There must be a determination of what are acceptable interruptions and develop ground rules for families to follow while working at home.
     • Office equipment and supplies provided by the company to be used solely for business purposes are to be returned when the employee is no longer required to work from
     • Use the same level of professionalism at the workplace at home with respect to telephone and email manner, including, confidentiality of company properly.
   • Supervisors or Managers will:
     • Use the same management skills employed to manage employees in the office to
     • In completing tasks, understand the time frame and the resources required to see projects to completion, including ensuring that work is distributed effectively among
     • Ensure that the expected end product as well as the due date must be effectively The expected quality and other criteria must be discussed which might affect the successful completion of tasks / projects employees are working on. A weekly memo or meeting, phone calls are examples of the projected communication means.
     • Develop reasonable and timely goals with employees and, in so doing, develop a timetable list task for completion and when those tasks should be completed.
     • The progress of employee tasks or projects can be monitored by setting up periodic reviews such as a designated point during a specific task or program, upon completion of certain tasks, or, on a recurring basis, such as, once a week on
     • Positive behavior should always be rewarded. Employee’s should always be alerted to their unsatisfactory performance and assist employees to correct their Use the communication tools available to provide employees with timely feedback.
   • The following principles will guide the planning design, and implementation:
     • Interoperability

Avoid being a “technology island” that is difficult and expensive to implement and maintain and any solution created should be well – integrated with the current IT environment.

• Scalability

Technology must have the capacity to be upgraded as technology changes to foster and enable growth which includes more users and more applications.

• Robustness

Technology must be capable of running without constant tuning and monitoring besides being reliable and secure.

• Privacy

Technology must protect the privacy of all users.

• Security

Any telecommuting solution created must meet the organization's standard for security from unwanted or malicious access.

• Guidelines

• Guidelines and procedures will be developed and published for the following:
• Contacting the telecommuters when an issue arises in the Answering or forwarding the telecommuters' telephone calls.
• Communicate with the office, supervisors and managers at regular Contingency planning in case something goes wrong.
• Assessing whether a telecommuting arrangement is not working and troubleshooting
• Organizing the home office.
• Available equipment and technologies for use while telecommuting such as telephone, voice mail, electronic mail, pagers, facsimile machines, computers, remote software (e.g, VPN)
• Retaining and safeguarding all records, papers and correspondence for their return to the official location. Work done at the telecommuting location is official company business. Release or destruction of any records should only be done at the official location according any applicable regulation or company policy.
• Computerized files are official records and shall be similarly

8. ATTACHMENTS