The Summerfield WAH Checklist

It seems that everybody knows somone who works at home. Some may only be a couple of days a week, but there is a percentage of the workforce that never go to an office other than the one in their den.


Its reality that some positions are just not going to allow people to be away from the office, like a Manufacturing Engineer. However, most jobs can probably be completed just as effectively away from work, and there are organizational and employee benefits to telecommuting that may be hard to ignore.

Since I'm a giver, here is a checklist to use when deciding if your organization should consider adopting a WAH program. Feel free to post in your office, but please label it "Summerfield WAH Checklist." (I'm sure my name carries a lot of clout at your company)

1) Space: With employees working at home, there is less physical desk/office space needed. Are you pressed for room at your company?

2) Difficulty to Manage: Are you planning a FT or PT WAH program? Are there too many rules surrounding the program? (Time off forms completed, only certain days allowed out of the office) Make sure that your program is simple to manage and doesn't turn into an administrative nightmare.

3) Technology Concerns: When considering WAH, what is the total technology cost to allow your employees to telecommute? Does your database allow for large amount of remote users at the same time?

4) Favortism: While the employees eligible for WAH may love the progam, workers whose jobs do not allow them to be away from the office may not be happy. If properly addressed, most reasonable people should understand, but be sure to plan ahead for this potential issue.

5) Recruiting Tool: If you do have a WAH program, its a great tool to use in your recruiting efforts. Your website and information at career fairs should reflect your policy to help attract potential candidates.

6) Office Togetherness: Workers likely feel more productive (they probably are due to no commuting time) with WAH, however the ability to get up and talk to a co-worker down the hall to resolve a problem has now been pushed to email. This is probably ok, but be sure to schedule regular team meetings so everyone can maintain some face-to-face contact.

7) Managing Performance: Probably the toughest aspect of a WAH program is a challenge for both workers and management. Employees often have a hard time staying motivated working without supervision, and management has a hard time tracking performance. To help with his process, set up weekly check-ins and specific performance metrics that need to be reached. Up front, state that the WAH program will end if these objectives are not met.