The BDA Guide to Drafting a WFH policy

Drafting a WFH policy is not an everyday task, and therefore, you may need a bit of help when getting started. There are several approaches to drafting a WFH policy but Deck 7’s BDA guide is an efficient and unique approach to the process.

What Is the BDA Guide

Deck 7’s BDA guide is an organizational method that allows you to break down any process into three parts—before, during, and after. Once you break down the process in this manner, the smaller goals become clear and achieving any task becomes a lot easier.

This approach works really well for WFH policy drafting, as the policy itself needs to consider several elements and there is a lot more to the WFH policy than just the document. Use this employer’s guide to direct your policy drafting efforts and enhance the overall experience.

Before: Key Elements of a Work from Home Policy

This is the first part of drafting the WFH policy. Before you start drafting the actual policy, you need to start by planning. And planning the policy requires you to determine the key elements of the policy. These key elements may differ as per the organization, industry, or geographic location. But there are certain elements that remain uniform and necessary:

• The purpose or objective of the WFH policy
• Eligibility of the employees for WFH policy
• Duration of WFH for employees
• Mandatory requirements for working from home
• Work timings and shifts
• KPIs for remote employees
• Security and confidentiality

There are several other additions you can make to the WFH policy such as communication procedures, compensation and benefits, break timings, dress codes, and more. The key is to tailor the WFH policy to your needs. Once you have all the key elements that you need for the policy, you can move on to the next step.

During: How Do You Draft a WFH Policy

There are a ton of guides on what goes into a WFH policy, but none that talk about the actual process of drafting it. Bigger companies usually outsource this process to their legal team or an individual contractor. But if you are just starting out or your organization is relatively small, chances are that the process of drafting the policy has fallen upon your shoulders. For your convenience, the drafting process can be broken down into smaller parts:

• Finalize and arrange the key elements of the WFH policy into appropriate order
• Start with one element at a time, for example – the objective of your WFH policy
• Fill in the details for each element – explain the objective of your WFH policy in detail, answer why you want to have a WFH policy, and what do you expect to achieve from it
• For each element, ensure that it is complete with the necessary details including procedures, expectations, obligations, requirements, and contact information if necessary
• Proofread the entire policy document, once all the elements are covered
• Add an acknowledgement at the end for employees to sign when they receive a copy
• Ensure that the language is crisp, clear, formal, and error free
• If needed, get the document approved from the necessary authorities
• Print the document on the organization’s letterhead, and you’re ready to go!

If you need a quick start, you can take a look at HR Report’s WFH policy template.

After: How to Implement a WFH Policy

The last part of drafting the WFH policy comes after the actual drafting. This is where you need to implement and execute the WFH policy. Implementing the WFH policy comes with several challenges that arise during working from home and aren’t apparent beforehand. If you simply hand the policy document to the employees and expect them to read and follow it, there will always be shortfalls in the process.  In order to implement the WFH policy well, there are a few measures that you can take:

• Once the policy is drafted, conduct a company-wide meeting to discuss the policy and its implications
• Send an email with all the detail related to the WFH policy to all the employees in the organization
• Communicate the expectations of the organization clearly, do not leave anything up for assumption
• Update all the managers regarding their role when it comes to WFH
• Ensure that all updates to the policy are communicated multiple times over different channels to everyone in the organization

A good plan, a succinct document, and effective communication will ensure that your WFH policy is well drafted as well as successfully implemented.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a work from home policy?

A WFH policy is a document that details the provisions and protocols when employees of an organization work remotely or from home.

What is the objective of work from home policy?

A WFH policy is drafted to offer flexibility to the employees. Usually, the objective is to ensure safe and effective work practices, no matter the location.