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Compliance Issues In A Remote Environment And How To Effectively Tackle Them

Remote work

The way we work, the way our organisations work, has changed drastically in the previous year. So much so that even as things are improving on the pandemic front, the effects of global lockdowns have left permanent impressions on modern workplaces.

With that said, one thing that still hasn’t changed amid all this chaos is compliance. All organisations, regardless of their industry or nature of business, have some compliance rules, generally related to (but not limited to) sexual harassment, data privacy, and code of conduct.

Even as the employees are working from home, something we expect to see more and more of in the foreseeable future, the rules of compliance are applicable.

A lot of compliance-related issues have been effectively avoided by organisations by providing employees with compulsory compliance training. Thankfully, most compliance training software, including the immensely popular HSI, offer the ability to deliver this training to employees working and new joiners being onboarded remotely.

However, training cannot resolve all the issues related to compliance. Moreover, when dealing with a remotely working workforce, addressing compliance issues demands an innovative approach.

If you have been struggling with the same, you have landed on the right article.

In this article, we will be discussing common compliance related issues that arise with a remote workforce, and how you can address them efficiently and effectively.

Let’s begin:

Digital Harassment

Harassment in the workplace is a known issue, and it extends to the realms of digital collaborations as well. What this means is that the rules and regulations pertaining to harassment issues should be observed even when employees are collaborating only virtually.

With that said, harassment issues in the virtual landscape may vary. For instance, some not-so-tech-savvy employees may face challenges while connecting on video conferences or collaborating with their colleagues virtually. In such a scenario, it is important for the organisation to ensure that such employees are protected from harassment on these meaningless grounds.

To that end, organisations must take initiatives to educate their employees about various forms of digital harassment and ensure that the employees don’t forget to conduct themselves just because they are working from the comfort of their living room couch.

Time Tracking

Most workplaces have an automated biometric system that allows them to effortlessly record and manage time tracking for all employees.

However, this isn’t possible when employees are working from home. This isn’t just because they aren’t physically coming to the office. It is also because since your employees and their families are all present at home, some employees may find that they are not able to work during the traditional working hours.

Thankfully, there are several options in the market when it comes to time tracking software for remote employees. With these, employees can effectively track their working hours, regardless of when they start working on any given day.

The incredible thing is that most of these software give employers access to insightful data that can be used to identify productivity bottlenecks and address them as and when they become apparent.

Device Usage

Most workplaces have certain policies regarding device usage. However, without the right tools, enforcing these policies for employees working at home can be a challenge.

For instance, if certain websites are blocked at the workplace, organisations must ensure that the employees are not accessing said websites when they are working from their home.

Thankfully, such restrictions can be effectively implemented with the right time tracking software. Some software offer the ability to block restricted websites on a specific device when a user is ‘logged in’. This means, the time tracking software will block restricted websites during the employees’ chosen working hours.

Conclusion

Dealing with compliance issues with a remote workforce isn’t challenging when you realise that it takes a little bit of innovation and the help of a few digital tools. We hope that the tips shared in this article will help you deal with compliance issues that come up with your remote workforce.

Did we miss out on mentioning a compliance issue that you have been facing? Share it with us in the comment section below and we would be happy to help!