What does telecommuting mean: definition, how it works, and examples
Teleworking is a labor model that companies have adopted for several years. However, the health emergency caused by Covid-19 made it gain a lot of strength quickly.
During the confinement period, teleworking was the obvious alternative for companies, and despite the fact that once the crisis had passed some returned to face-to-face work, many others continued to implement remote work, or a hybrid work model.
All of this led to the need to approve the Remote Work Law in Spain, also known as the Telework Law, with the aim of regulating aspects of this model.
In this article, we tell you about some important points about this law, the rights of a teleworker, as well as advantages, tips, and tools for those who work remotely.
What does the Remote Work Law consist of?
The objective of this law is to provide the necessary regulation for companies to implement the remote work model, and for both them and teleworkers to benefit.
It defines remote work as the form of work organization or performance of work activity in which it is performed at the worker's home or at a place chosen by the worker, during all or part of their working day, on a regular basis.
On the other hand, it defines teleworking as remote work that is carried out through the exclusive or prevalent use of computer, telematic and telecommunication means and systems.
Is remote work mandatory?
Implementing remote work is voluntary, both for the company and for the workers. For this reason, if it is decided to implement it, it is necessary to sign an agreement between both parties that stipulates it.
This agreement must be made in writing and may form part of the initial employment contract or be incorporated into it subsequently.
Its content will have to establish information corresponding to the means and tools that the worker needs. As well as the expenses that he/she may have in order to perform his/her work remotely.
In addition, it must specify general information such as the work schedule, the percentage and distribution between in-person and remote work (if applicable), and the duration of the agreement, among other things.
The rights of the teleworker
Teleworkers are entitled to the same rights are entitled to the same rights as those of the employees who work on-siteexcept for those particularities of face-to-face work.
On the other hand, the Remote Work Law establishes these specific rights for teleworkers:
- Right to training. Companies must guarantee access to the necessary training actions, equitably with respect to on-site workers.
- Right to professional promotion. They will be informed in writing of the promotion opportunities that exist.
- Right to receive sufficient resources. They will be provided with all the necessary means, equipment, and tools for the development of their work activity, based on what is stipulated in the agreement.
- Right to compensation for expenses. The company must compensate for expenses related to the means linked to their work.
- Right to a flexible schedule. If the agreement establishes it, the teleworker may modify their work schedule, respecting work and rest time.
- Right to adequate time registration. The registration system used must faithfully reflect working time and include the start and end time of the working day, among other data.
- Right to prevention of occupational hazards. The company must carry out a risk assessment and planning of preventive activity for remote work.
- Right to privacy and data protection. The company may not require the installation of programs or applications on devices owned by the teleworker, nor the use of these for the development of remote work. The use of telematic means and digital devices must guarantee respect for this right.
- Right to digital disconnection. They will have the right to disconnect outside of their working hours.
- Collective rights. They may exercise their rights of a collective nature to the same extent as on-site workers.
What are the advantages of remote work?
As we mentioned before, after the health crisis, many companies have continued to use teleworking as a work modality. This is because it offers many benefits, both for workers and for the companies themselves.
For workers
- Greater flexibility and autonomy. Remote work allows the worker to manage their time to carry out their activities and achieve their work objectives.
- Saving time and money. By not having to travel to a specific workplace, the worker can save time and transportation costs.
- Less stress. The possibility of choosing a work environment that suits their personal needs and tastes gives the worker greater emotional well-being.
- Greater productivity. Flexibility in working conditions and the possibility of managing one's own time generate positive results in worker productivity and in making the most of their working day.
- Work-life balance. This work model allows the worker to balance their personal and family activities with their professional obligations, which benefits their quality of life.
For companies
- Cost reduction. By implementing a remote work model, the company manages to reduce infrastructure and facility costs, as well as the fixed expenses generated by on-site work.
- Access to better candidates. The possibility of recruiting professionals without geographical limitations allows the company to access candidates of a higher level and specialization.
- Lower absenteeism. The flexibility provided by teleworking greatly helps to reduce the problem of absenteeism faced by companies.
- Greater achievement of objectives. With remote work, companies prioritize work by objectives over meeting certain hours, which favors the motivation and productivity of the worker.
- Promotes innovation. This work model involves the use of digital tools and platforms that drive continuous learning and innovation, both for the company and for the workers.
What are the best tools for remote work?
Today, there are multiple tools that help companies and workers facilitate management and communication processes to optimize remote work.
Cloud space
Having space in the cloud has two major benefits: on the one hand, it provides a storage place for all the company's documents and materials and prevents them from getting lost.
And on the other hand, it allows collaborative work, which is extremely useful for work teams, even with a face-to-face modality.
Platforms such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, Onedrive, iCloud or Amazon Cloud Drive are an option for companies looking to try a cloud service. These offer free storage so that users can try it out, and then have the option of contracting a professional plan with greater capacity.
CRM
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a great help for companies to keep their sales processes under control.
Most CRMs offer a free trial period, and different plans from which companies can choose the one that best suits their needs depending on the number of users, tools and storage space they require.
Some of the CRMs among which companies can choose with the Spanish language include: HubSpot, Pipedrive, Teamleader, Britix24 and Zoho CRM, among others.
Team management tools
Some of the platforms most used by companies to optimize team and project management are Trello and Asana.
Trello has an intuitive board platform that allows you to organize and manage different projects and tasks in a company, as well as share and track them as a team. Asana also works with boards and cards, and also allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of the team's progress and incorporates an internal communication tool.
Both have multiple tools that allow the user to customize the functions of their board according to the needs of their team.
Platforms for video conferences
With the implementation of teleworking, video conferences have become a powerful communication tool, both for one-on-one conversations and for meetings with a large number of people.
That is why the need to have one (or more) tools for conducting video conferences within an organization has become indispensable.
Today, the range of platforms for this type of communication is quite broad, and many of them are even part of broader remote working services. Some of the most used by companies in different parts of the world are Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Go To Meeting, among others.
Internal communication tools
Having internal communication channels that facilitate remote dialogue between workers and teams has also become a major need for companies.
One of the things that companies usually look for in these tools is that they can be used exclusively for work. That is, that they are not the same ones that workers regularly use for their personal communications.
In addition, the tools that are most specialized in communication at a professional level usually offer multiple functions that optimize remote interactions within an organization.
Some communication applications that can be used in teleworking are Slack, Microsoft Teams, Rocket Chat and Spike, among others.
Tools to improve productivity
Platforms that help share information, distribute tasks, set and measure objectives, and generally promote productivity, are extremely useful for organizations that implement remote work.
Some of the tools that have functions that can help companies with this are Notion, Koan, Factorial and Leapsome, among others.
Teleworking and coworking
It is true that the remote work modality allows workers to carry out their activities practically from anywhere, as long as it is a space that favors the fulfillment of their tasks and objectives.
However, not just any place meets this requirement. Teleworkers who choose to work from home or from a coffee shop may face connection problems, noise, and situations that constantly break concentration during the workday.
On the other hand, there are coworking spaces that have areas and services that greatly favor teleworking.
Discover what a coworking space is and the types that exist.
Why telecommute in a coworking space?
We highlight the main advantages of working in a coworking space that may be of great interest to a teleworker:
- They provide their users with different areas to carry out their daily activities, from meeting rooms where they can meet with clients if they need to, to rest areas and amenities that promote creativity and worker well-being.
- They have all services included, from high-speed internet and electricity to free coffee and tea. In addition, their spaces are already fully equipped so that the worker can simply arrive with their laptop to work.
- They offer the possibility of establishing connections with other professionals and being part of a community. This, on the one hand, helps to generate business opportunities for workers, and on the other hand, reduces the feeling of loneliness that can exist when working from home.
- They offer different types of plans and flexible spaces that adapt to the needs of each worker.
