Many employers allow their employees to work from home, but many of them do not audit their telecommuting employees. This is an interesting phenomenon, as so often, employers require a “code of conduct” or “telecommuting agreement” before the work arrangement is allowed. These agreements can require a separate working area from the rest of the home, elder or child care to not be provided by the employee, or paper to not be near the desk. All of which are very important to the safety of the employee and security of the company.
So, why do these agreements get signed and filed away, and never audited by the employer? It is clearly not in the best interest of the employer, as these telecommuting employees can have unsafe working conditions, unsecure information, or a multitude of other violations of the agreement. Perhaps the employer feels that a level of trust goes along with an agreed upon telecommuting situation, or possibly the employer simply does not have the resources or knowledge to complete an in-home audit for these workers. There are many excuses as to why an employer does not perform audits, but most workers would agree that done in the correct manner, an audit can be beneficial to both the employer and the telecommuting employee.
When an employer has the in-home audit performed, they can be assured that they are doing their due diligence in areas such as worker safety and securing private information. A random audit can show an employer that the employee has a safe environment, an ergonomically correct work station, and an area free from obstructions – all which can lead to less workers compensation claims. It can also show an employee is fulfilling their obligations of the telecommuting contract at any given time, especially in the case of securing confidential company information – which can be priceless to a company.
One may ask, how could an employee benefit from an in-home audit of their workspace? An audit may show that the employee’s work station could be improved, perhaps making it safer or more ergonomic. Both of these can be invaluable when it comes to overall health. An audit can show an employee ways to make information more secured, as a second pair of eyes can find things that could simply be overlooked by the home worker. Finally, it shows the employee that the employer is vested in their long-term employment from home – which to most at-home workers, is considered to be their most important benefit of their job.
A telecommuter audit performed once per quarter is highly suggested for the benefit of both the employer and employee. Contact HomeSense Telecommuter Auditing today to learn more about unbiased, in-home telecommuter audits, and the benefits of having a regular auditing program for your company.