The coronavirus pandemic was officially declared by the WHO on 11 March 2020. Thus, many preventive measures have been taken to stop the spread of COVID-19. In practice, this means reorganization of the work of many companies both in Poland and worldwide. Remote working until recently was an opportunity that companies used to a greater or lesser extent. Some of them took advantage of this by completely trying to transform all the work of the organization into a remote one, others made it a privilege for the employees, and many companies simply did not even allow themselves to think about this possibility. The announcement of the epidemic state in Poland and the recommended isolation of the society influenced the decision of entrepreneurs to start remote work by employees whose positions allow it. For many employees, the transfer of all their duties home was a novelty, but over time it will certainly become an everyday occurrence. The prospect of working from home seems tempting to most people. As it turns out, working in a pandemic is not just a remote job. This is definitely a higher level, where professional work has to be repeatedly combined with learning and spending time with children, or sharing home space with homeowners who suddenly switch to the same work model. So the question is how to prepare employees for a change of work model and not let them go crazy?

        Remote working is the performance of tasks entrusted by the employer outside the company's premises. This is the model that has so far been used most often by freelancers working on the basis of a contract of work or contract of mandate. It is also a form used by companies whose specificity of work requires it or by organizations that give individual employees this possibility as an additional motivation. Remote working is often confused with teleworking. The difference is that remote work is incidental and teleworking, which is regulated by the Labour Code, is performed regularly outside the workplace. Currently, in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Polish employers can order employees to work remotely. This is mainly due to the provisions of the Act on special solutions in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic. When commissioning remote work, the employee's salary does not change. Remote working is also known as "home office";, i. e. permission for the employer to perform work outside the place of permanent work. According to the speculator, at home. The positive side of remote working is the fact that, according to the survey of the pracuj. pl portal "Occupational lifestyles";, as much as 82% of the surveyed employees perceive the remote working model as positive[1].

        Transferring all responsibilities home can be a really difficult task for employees. Working remotely from everyone requires a lot of self-discipline and ability to organize work. As a result, it may turn out that what takes an employee 8 hours at work can take one much less and the other much more at home. For a company to be able to switch to remote working and not to do so before, it certainly needs preparation. However, there is not always time for this, especially in emergencies such as the declaration of an epidemic. Below you will find some tips to help you prepare your company for a sudden change of working model:

#1. Announce as soon as possible in advance that the company is moving to a remote working model.

#2. Before starting work from home, while most employees are still working from home, establish rules and regulations for remote working - including common communication channels and processes.

#3. Provide employees with the right tools to work. Make sure that every employee has been provided with a laptop or a computer that has the right programs and applications, and that he or she definitely has access to the Internet.

#4. Make sure that all the necessary documentation is available online. Its absence must not interfere with or slow down daily remote work.

#5. Give your employees valuable tips on how to organise remote working. Define together the scope of tasks to be performed while working at home. Employees who have not been in contact with this form of work so far may have many difficulties in getting used to it.

#6. Actively follow the progress of projects implemented by employees. Set appropriate deadlines, assign specific people to particular tasks and determine the time and scope of reporting. The coronavirus pandemic in the world and the epidemic in Poland is a difficult period for everyone. Employers should take particular care of the health and safety of their employees and follow governmental recommendations to prevent the spread of the virus, which is doing so at a dizzying pace. By taking appropriate steps and reorganising the work, for example

        By moving to remote working, each employer can contribute to reducing the risk of its spread and taking responsibility not only for its employees but also for society at large. 

If you want more advice on implementing or coordinating remote work in your company, please contact us.

[1] https://ccnews.pl/2020/03/17/polacy-zdolni-do-pracy-zdalnej-badania-pracuj-pl/