Sustain Work-From-Home in the New Normal
Ensure work-from-home is planned, integrated, and supported during the pandemic and beyond.
- Not all roles are able to WFH; the ability to WFH varies throughout the organization.
- Organizations lack a clearly defined, unbiased approach to determine who can continue to work from home on an ongoing basis and who needs to return to the workplace. In addition, some employees want to return to the workplace regardless of whether their role can WFH.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- The emergency WFH program won't sustain itself – it's a significant change that requires choosing the right long-term options for your organization and ongoing efforts through supporting programs and change management.
Impact and Result
- Sustain WFH opportunities for employees by creating a planned, integrated, and supported program that maximizes the benefits of flexibility while supporting both organizational and employee needs. Using an in-depth analysis of work duties, processes, and operational outcomes and the development of clearly defined program parameters, transition the current short-term emergency WFH arrangement into a successful and unbiased long-term WFH program.
Sustain Work-From-Home in the New Normal
1. Assess the current state of WFH
Assess the current state of WFH and determine the suitability of each work unit to WFH long term.
2. Identify and select WFH options
Choose the WFH option for each work unit that best aligns with the organizational context.
3. Define WFH program parameters
Define employee eligibility and time parameters for WFH program, create a WFH policy, and determine resources and support required to enable the program.
4. Prepare to implement and sustain the WFH program
Create a program rollout schedule, use change management to support the transition, and communicate the WFH program internally and externally.
Workshop: Sustain Work-From-Home in the New Normal
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Assess Data and Establish Program Purpose
The Purpose
- Identify work units and roles working from home during the pandemic.
- Assess the current state of WFH for each applicable work unit.
- Determine program goals and metrics to track success.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Identified work units and roles working from home during the pandemic.
- Assessed the current state of WFH for each applicable work unit.
- Determined program goals and metrics to track success.
Activities
Outputs
Analyze current state of WFH.
- WFH organizational information and employee feedback analyzed
Identify program goals and metrics.
- Program goals and metrics identified
Define work units.
- Work units defined
Module 2: Select WFH Options and Program Parameters
The Purpose
- Determine the suitability of each work unit to WFH.
- Review the different WFH options.
- Choose the WFH option for each work unit that best aligns with the organizational context.
- Identify employee eligibility parameters for the WFH program.
- Identify time parameters for the WFH program.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Evaluated the suitability of each work unit to WFH.
- Assessed the different WFH options.
- Chose the WFH option for work units that best aligns with the organizational context.
- Established approach for identifying employee eligibility and time parameters for the WFH program.
Activities
Outputs
Assess work unit and role suitability to WFH.
- Work unit and role suitability to WFH assessed
Select WFH options for work units.
- WFH options for work units selected
Identify program parameters and finalize approach to validate role eligibility to WFH.
- Program parameters and approach outlined to validate role eligibility to WFH
Assess work-from-anywhere (WFA) compatibility.
- WFA compatibility assessed
Module 3: Analyze Impacts to Policies
The Purpose
- Review the impact of WFH on the various supporting policies and programs.
- Evaluate technology needs.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Identified ideas for policies and programs that need to be added, updated, or modified to support WFH.
- Gauged technology needs.
Activities
Outputs
Review impact to culture, communication, and engagement.
- Impact to culture, communication, and engagement reviewed
Brainstorm ideas to sustain culture, communication, and engagement.
- Ideas to sustain culture, communication, and engagement gathered
Identify required technology and key supporting programs.
- Required technology and key supporting programs identified
Module 4: Evaluate HR Programs and Establish WFH Program Oversight
The Purpose
- Plan modifications to identified talent management programs to support the WFH program.
- Determine the resources and support required to enable the WFH program.
- Establish approach to evaluating and the WFH program.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Identified modifications to talent management programs.
- Verified the resources and support required to coordinate and run the program.
- Defined approach for the WFH program evaluation.
Activities
Outputs
Review updates to talent management programs.
- Updates to talent management programs reviewed
Determine coordination requirements and program roles and responsibilities.
- Coordination requirements and program roles and responsibilities determined
Determine WFH program evaluation approach.
- WFH program evaluation approach established
Module 5: Plan for Implementation
The Purpose
- Create a program rollout schedule.
- Prepare to solicit required approvals on the WFH program design.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Outlined roadmap for program rollout.
- Developed presentation to gain required approvals on the WFH program.
Activities
Outputs
Determine high-level milestones and key next steps.
- High-level milestones and key next steps mapped out
Consolidate information for executive summary presentation.
- Information for executive summary presentation created
About McLean & Company
McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Try Our Guided Implementations
Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 6 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation #1 - Assess the current state of WFH
- Call #1 - Review the current state of work units and roles working from home during the pandemic.
- Call #2 - Determine WFH suitability of each work unit and identify which should be included in the sustained WFH program.
Guided Implementation #2 - Identify and select WFH options
- Call #1 - Review WFH options and determine which one(s) align with each work unit. Assess whether any consolidation between WFH options is available.
Guided Implementation #3 - Define WFH program parameters
- Call #1 - Determine the individual eligibility and timing parameters of the WFH program.
- Call #2 - Identify the support required to implement the WFH program and determine how related programs will need to be modified.
Guided Implementation #4 - Prepare to implement and sustain the WFH program
- Call #1 - Prepare to launch the program by reviewing change management tactics and key communications.
