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company employees; as caregivers at home; and/or managers/leaders/decision
makers in companies, as they strike a work-life and family balance.
The guidelines based on inputs from multiple stakeholders that include women
executives (E4-E9 level executives in PSEs); senior management and decision
makers in PSEs, besides SCOPE can be read in attribution to the three roles executed
by women in particular. Some of the guidelines are applicable to all genders; some
guidelines are also overlapping. A working from home policy - integrating these
guidelines, is recommended to ensure that employees, now and those joining in future
are clear about working from home practices.
GUIDELINES
I. GENERIC
a. PSEs, irrespective of enabling a temporary or short term or a long-term WfH
arrangement, redefine the definition of a workspace to include remote work,
tele-work, or work from home; and spell out clearly, and in written, both the
employers and employees obligations under any such work arrangements.
b. Guidelines mentioned herein are workable only when line managers and
supervisors are i) a trained and sensitized on WFH modalities and expectations;
and ii) well informed on the eligibility factors, approval processes, performance
evaluations, etc. to avoid confusion and prevent perception of different
employees being treated differently.
II. WOMEN AS EMPLOYEES
Rationale: Flexibility and customization are important elements in a WfH
arrangement
c. A clear guideline on the working time (e.g. a 9.30 AM-5.30 PM work
requirement); availability expectations (i.e. setting rules that establish the time
when people must be available) must be outlined in the policy.
d. Besides availability expectations, communicate work expectations i.e.
communicate clearly the work allocations (e.g. agreeing upon individual tasks
and responsibilities, which is measurable in terms of task fulfilment,
achievement, also success).
e. Specify how employees will be evaluated in terms of their productivity.
f. Unless otherwise agreed upon in writing, any work-from-home arrangement
must not affect an employees benefits, work status, work responsibilities, etc.
g. Making arrangements for employees physical and mental well-being with also
an assurance of all redressal channels available for communicating any
duress/stress while working from home.
III. WOMEN AS CAREGIVERS
Rationale: The unpaid work women do is one of the biggest barriers they face to reaching
their potential in the workforce
h. A policy must give due recognition to womens unpaid work that includes
domestic upkeep, parenting responsibilities, caring for the sick and the elderly.
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