New guidance to help employers adjust to homeworking

Employers and employees have been through a lot these past two years – many having to shift from office working to remote working, then to hybrid working and back to homeworking again.

These rapid changes can cause confusion and anxiety in the workplace, but new Acas guidance reminds us that the basics of good and productive work are the same no matter where or how you work.

Great work environments are usually based upon trust – this can take time to build, but once established it means you can do seemingly contradictory things.

For example, working well from home – or in a ‘hybrid fashion’ – requires:

• Flexibility: trust means allowing staff to get the job done in the way they think best, without constantly checking up on them. This also means being responsive and supportive of individual circumstances; the pandemic has certainly taught us about the mental health impact of work
• Clarity: we all need an element of certainty and predictability to perform well. Internal communication strategies can help provide clarity about expectations – particularly regarding personal performance and working patterns – and keep everyone updated on new policies. The Acas guidance provides a helpful example of a homeworking policy you can follow.

An old proverb tells us that ‘all roads lead to Rome’.  In a workplace context, this could be paraphrased as ‘every plan about the people you manage should lead to better employment relations.’

Acas advisers are always happy to chat about what works best for your business setting. Get into contact with Acas here.