How to handle difficult work situations when people are remote

There likely won’t be a big return to the office in the near future, so CEOs and managers should get comfortable setting up a clearer set of expectations than they would have with in-person work. Whether this is for a performance review, a promotion, or disciplinary action, expectations need to be formalized and explicitly communicated to all employees, even more clearly than if you were in a physical office.

Terminations and layoffs 
First, when it comes to firing someone, it should never be a surprise to that person. There should be a set of expectations that each employee must be meeting to fulfill their job requirement, and when they are not meeting those expectations, a private call should be scheduled to communicate that to the person. Additionally, it should be communicated in writing what the consequences will be if these expectations are not met. It is important to give the employee time to meet these expectations before any action is taken, with very clear deadlines outlining what needs to be done by what date. In a physical office, this kind of communication about work performance should never be done casually in corridors, and remote work has been a good excuse to formalize that process.

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In the instance of layoffs where it is not a performance issue, that can be tricker, and may unfortunately be a surprise to some. However, this should still be done one-on-one, and not in large groups, no matter if this makes it a longer, more tedious process. Doing it in a mass group video call is really hiding behind the difficult decision and makes each person feel like an object.

Being clearer about job expectations and deadlines by scheduling regular one-on-one video calls with your employees should empower them to perform better. When communication happens in casual settings, there is more chance for there to be misunderstandings and confusion about expectation and job performance.

Bullying and harassment 
Having a clear no tolerance policy for bullying and harassment and a clear protocol for reporting it is extremely important with remote work. The tone of emails and frequency of communications can be abusive; cyber bullying can happen in any size firm and people may feel they can hide behind their messages to say things they would not say in person. Be crystal clear on how serious your business is about online harassment and make sure each employee has a manager they trust to communicate with, as well as other trusted allies at the firm if they need to report someone.

Cybersecurity 
Another sensitive topic to manage with remote workers is security. In a physical office, generally your workers are using office computers and devices and you have a certain amount of control on the security of those systems to prevent any type of security breach. But in this new age of remote working, oftentimes your employees’ computer is their personal computer. So companies need to consider whether they want to issue company computers and mobile devices to each employee. For many who aren’t able to do that or don’t want their employees to have to manage multiple computers and phones, they need to make decisions about trust and asking people not to download anything on their computer that could contain viruses that would impact work applications.

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Companies can also deploy a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution to monitor, manage and secure laptops, smartphones and tablets that are used in enterprise to make sure they are meeting company guidelines and deploy an antivirus solution with centralized management console to remotely manage the various workstations and guarantee their security.

Remote work certainly is providing HR with challenges, but it can also be a good time to button up your firm’s policies and protocols around promotions, work-life balance and disciplinary procedures and get stronger on communications around expectations. Ideally, you can find the best way to support your employees online, give them great paths for advancement and some independence while staying connected with better communication and guidance.