Template · Policies and handbooks
Remote work policy
In short
A remote work policy sets the rules for employees who work from home all or part of the time: who is eligible, approval, work location limits, schedules and availability, timekeeping for hourly staff, equipment and expenses, data security, home workspace safety, performance expectations, and how the arrangement can change or end. This template covers remote, hybrid and work-at-home agent roles.
Remote and Hybrid Work Policy template
Remote and Hybrid Work Policy
Replace each [Placeholder] and choose the options that match your organization. If you employ people in several states or countries, check expense reimbursement, tax and pay rules for each location. The approval form at the end is completed once per employee and updated when the arrangement changes.
1. Purpose and scope
This policy explains how [Company Name] employees may work from a location other than a company site, either fully remote or on a hybrid schedule. It applies to all employees approved for a remote or hybrid arrangement. Occasional work from home for a few hours, such as waiting for a delivery, is handled by your manager and is not covered by this policy. Remote work is a business arrangement, not an entitlement, unless it is a condition of the job as advertised or an approved accommodation.
2. Definitions
Fully remote: the employee's regular work location is their approved home or other remote location, and they come to a company site only for specific events.
Hybrid: the employee works at a company site on set days ([number] days per week / [days]) and remotely on the others.
On-site: the employee works at a company site every scheduled day.
3. Eligibility and approval
Each role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote-eligible by [HR and the department head], based on the work itself. Within eligible roles, employees normally must have completed [number] days of employment and training, have no active performance improvement plan or final written warning, and have a suitable workspace that meets section 8.
Requests are made using the Remote Work Arrangement Form below and approved by the employee's manager and HR. Requests for remote work as a reasonable accommodation for a disability or pregnancy-related condition are handled under our [Reasonable Accommodation Policy], not this section.
4. Work location
Employees must work from their approved location in [the United States / the states listed in the approved form]. Working from a different state or country, even temporarily, can create tax, payroll, licensing and legal obligations for the company and must be approved in advance by HR. Working from another country for more than [number] days in a 12-month period is not permitted without written approval from HR and [Legal / Finance]. Employees must tell HR before moving their home address.
5. Schedule, availability and communication
Remote employees keep the same working hours as their on-site role unless their manager approves a different schedule in writing. During working hours employees must be reachable by [phone, chat and email], respond to messages within [time], attend scheduled meetings with camera on when requested, and keep their status and calendar up to date. Hybrid employees must be on site on their assigned days; changes need manager approval.
Remote work is not a substitute for dependent care. Employees should have care arrangements that allow them to work their scheduled hours without regular interruption.
6. Timekeeping and overtime for non-exempt employees
Non-exempt (hourly) employees must record all time worked accurately using [timekeeping system], including start and end times and unpaid meal breaks, and must take meal and rest breaks as required by law and company policy. Work outside scheduled hours, including reading or answering messages, requires prior manager approval, but all time worked will be paid. Managers may not ask employees to work off the clock. For work-at-home agents, time spent logging in to required systems before the shift is considered working time.
7. Equipment, supplies and expenses
[Company Name] will provide: [laptop, monitor(s), headset, keyboard, mouse, phone, other]. Company equipment remains company property, must be used mainly for work, must be kept secure, and must be returned within [number] days of the end of employment or the remote arrangement.
Employees are responsible for providing a reliable internet connection of at least [__] Mbps download and [__] Mbps upload, and a quiet, private workspace. The company will reimburse [a monthly stipend of $[amount] / approved actual expenses] for internet, phone and necessary supplies, and will reimburse any other necessary business expenses as required by applicable state law. Submit expenses through [system] within [number] days.
8. Workspace and safety
Employees must maintain a designated workspace that is safe, free of hazards and suitable for confidential work, with a door or screen where calls involve customer or personal data. Report any work-related injury that occurs during working hours in the remote workspace to [your manager / HR] within 24 hours, in the same way as an injury at a company site. The company may ask employees to complete a home office self-assessment checklist.
9. Information security and confidentiality
Employees must follow our [Acceptable Use and Information Security Policies] at all times. In particular:
- Use only company-approved devices and software for company data, and connect through [VPN / secure access tool]. - Do not use public Wi-Fi for work without the VPN, and never on unsecured networks for customer data. - Lock your screen when away from your device and do not let household members use company equipment. - Do not print, photograph or store confidential information on personal devices. - Report lost or stolen equipment, or suspected security incidents, to [IT contact] immediately.
Company systems may be monitored as permitted by law and described in our [Acceptable Use Policy].
10. Performance
Remote employees are held to the same performance standards, goals and conduct rules as on-site employees. Managers will set clear expectations and measure results, and will hold regular one-on-ones. Remote work status will not affect eligibility for training, promotion or pay increases.
11. Changing or ending the arrangement
[Company Name] may change or end a remote or hybrid arrangement based on business needs, performance or conduct, with at least [number] days' notice where possible. Employees may request to return to on-site work with [number] days' notice, subject to space availability. Changes to an arrangement provided as an accommodation will follow the interactive process.
Remote Work Arrangement Form
- Employee name
- Job title / department
- Arrangement requested
- Fully remoteHybrid
- If hybrid: on-site days
- Remote work address (city and state)
- Working hours and time zone
- Equipment issued (with asset numbers)
- Internet speed confirmed (download / upload Mbps)
- Start date of arrangement
- Review date
- I have read and agree to follow the Remote and Hybrid Work Policy.
- Employee signature
- Manager signature
- HR signature
How to use this template
- Classify every role as on-site, hybrid or remote-eligible based on the actual work before you publish the policy.
- Set the location rules: which states or countries you can legally employ people in, and the approval process for working elsewhere.
- Fill in equipment, minimum internet speed and the expense approach, then check reimbursement rules for each state you employ people in.
- Spell out timekeeping for hourly staff, including system login time and after-hours messages.
- Align the security section with your IT and acceptable use policies so there is one set of rules.
- Have each remote or hybrid employee complete the arrangement form, and keep it with an equipment record.
- Review arrangements at a set interval (for example every six or twelve months) and whenever performance or business needs change.
Remote, hybrid and work from home: choose your terms
Most confusion in remote work policies comes from loose definitions. "Work from home" can mean a fully remote customer service agent in another state, a hybrid finance analyst who comes in Tuesdays and Thursdays, or a manager working from home on a snow day. Each has different legal and practical consequences, so define the arrangements at the top and use the terms consistently. The glossary entry on hybrid work covers the common models.
Telecommuting policy is the older name for the same document. If your handbook still has one from before 2020, it is almost certainly too short for how people work now. Reference this policy from your employee handbook rather than duplicating it.
The legal issues that catch employers out
Wage and hour. The FLSA applies at home exactly as it does in the office. For non-exempt employees, all time worked must be paid, including time spent booting up computers and logging in to systems needed to start work, and off-the-clock email replies. Unpaid pre-shift login time has been the subject of many class actions against call center employers.
Expense reimbursement. Federal law requires reimbursement only where unreimbursed expenses would push pay below minimum wage. Several states go further: California, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia, among others, require employers to reimburse necessary business expenses, which can include part of a personal phone or internet bill.
Location. An employee working from another state can create income tax withholding, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation and sometimes corporate tax obligations in that state, and makes that state's employment laws apply to them. Work from another country can create permanent establishment risk and local employment obligations.
Accommodations. Under the ADA, remote work can be a reasonable accommodation. Handle those requests through the interactive process, not by applying general eligibility rules.
Rules vary by state and country, so check each location where you have remote employees.
Work-at-home agents and high-volume remote teams
Contact centers and BPOs run some of the largest remote workforces, often with hundreds of work-at-home agents across many states. The policy needs more operational detail than for office staff: minimum internet speeds and a wired connection, a quiet room with a door for PCI or HIPAA-regulated calls, rules on headsets and second monitors, and a clear process for outages (who to call, whether time is paid, when to switch to a backup site).
Recruiting for these roles should test the setup early. A short technical check at the application stage saves training seats that would otherwise go to candidates whose home internet cannot support the softphone. Remote new hires also need a structured first week: use a remote onboarding checklist so equipment, accounts and security training are done before the first live contact.
Security and monitoring
The security section is usually where IT and HR disagree. Keep the remote work policy short on this point and point to the acceptable use policy for detail. The essentials in the policy itself: company devices only, VPN or secure access, no customer data on personal devices, report loss immediately.
If you monitor activity (screen capture, keystrokes, webcam checks), say so. Some states, including New York, Connecticut and Delaware, require written notice of electronic monitoring. Heavy monitoring of salaried knowledge workers tends to damage trust more than it improves output; measuring results usually works better. For contact center agents, call recording and adherence tracking are standard and expected, provided they are disclosed.
Common mistakes
- No rule on working from other states, then discovering an employee has lived in another state for a year.
- Treating remote work as a perk for top performers only, which can lead to inconsistent and discriminatory decisions.
- Failing to pay hourly staff for login time, short calls outside shift or system outages.
- No written equipment record, so laptops are never returned when people leave.
- Ending arrangements abruptly without notice, which drives resignations among the people you most want to keep.
Frequently asked questions
What should a work from home policy include?
Definitions of remote and hybrid work, eligibility and approval, allowed work locations, schedules and availability, timekeeping for hourly staff, equipment and expenses, workspace safety, information security, performance expectations, how the arrangement can change, and a signed arrangement form.
What is a hybrid work policy?
A hybrid work policy covers employees who split time between a company site and a remote location. It sets required on-site days, how those days are chosen or changed, and the same remote rules on equipment, security and timekeeping. This template covers hybrid and fully remote arrangements together.
Do employers have to pay for home internet for remote workers?
Not under federal law unless costs push pay below minimum wage. But several states, including California and Illinois, require reimbursement of necessary business expenses, which can include a reasonable share of internet and phone costs. Many employers pay a flat monthly stipend to cover this.
Can an employer require remote employees to come back to the office?
Generally yes, unless remote work is in a contract, was promised as a condition of the job, or is a reasonable accommodation. Give reasonable notice, apply the change consistently, and review any accommodation through the interactive process before changing it.
Is a telecommuting policy the same as a remote work policy?
Yes. Telecommuting is the older term. Most employers now use remote work or work from home, and update the policy to cover hybrid schedules, multi-state employees, expense rules and data security in more detail than older telecommuting policies did.