Working from home is a perk

Working remotely is not a perk, it’s a policy — one that can be changed or eliminated as needed. A few years ago, telecommuting was considered a perk and people were willing to make sacrifices for the opportunity to work from home.

Today, while workers still appreciate the opportunity, it’s a common one and it can mean keeping team members happy and productive.

Alluding to your remote employees as privileged or joking about them sitting at home eating ice cream in their pajamas is not smart and it creates an unhealthy atmosphere that encourages people at the office to pile on the remote workers as well.

It only benefits employees

If your team is managed correctly it will benefit you in many ways, including financially.

Here are a few of the employer advantages:

■ Reduction in absenteeism.

■ Expansion of your talent pool from local to unlimited.

■ Increase in productivity (despite popular belief ).

■ Decrease in office conflicts, gossip and personality clashes.

■ Shrinking costs for furniture, phone, connectivity and other office necessities.

Remote workers can be paid less because they don’t have commuting costs

Salaries are determined by responsibility, skill level and experience, not convenience. Pay your employees a fair wage, and remember that your work-from-home policy saves you money in other ways.

Hiring out-of-state employees requires no extra effort or attention

Entrepreneurs are often taken by surprise when they learn about the laws and regulations on compliance and licensing. You may need a permit or license for your remote workers, for instance, and there are tax nexus considerations.

Do some research on the rules in your state.

It’s impossible to build a strong culture outside an office environment

Your culture is what you make it, with or without the physical presence of employees. Establish your company values, vision and policies and communicate them clearly and often.

Consider the following:

■ How your team talks to customers and shows up as a brand.

■ How your team communicates with one another. Slack is a great way to stay connected, as is Skype. It’s important to draw boundaries though; designate times for communication so that everyone has uninterrupted work time.

■ Holding weekly meetings, even brief daily meetings, to keep everyone informed.

■ Developing recognition and reward systems and using a public forum like Zoom to talk about achievements.

Productivity and commitment are an issue

If you know how to interview, select and train your employees properly, productivity is not likely to be an issue.

Many of my clients have remote teams and their loyalty, sense of ownership and discipline are exceptional. A study published in Harvard Business Review found that, while not everyone is cut out to work from home, may of those who do are even more productive than their office counterparts.

Employers don’t need to help with costs

Opinions vary on this one. In my opinion, the employer should offer compensation for equipment and other expenses.

Entrepreneurs sometimes believe that, because their employees need computers anyway, the expense should fall on their shoulders. An additional eight hours (or more) of use creates wear on their personal equipment and lessens its lifetime. It’s also wise to separate work from personal, so employees appreciate having multiple devices.

Your employees may need to upgrade internet services and use software they normally wouldn’t purchase. Consider these expenses and offer an allowance every year or two.

Perks are not necessary

Office workers often receive perks such as free coffee, the occasional lunch and holiday parties, to name a few. Your virtual team should be shown similar acts of appreciation.

Here are a few ideas:

■ Pay for a basic co-working space membership so remote workers can escape home now and then.

■ Send the occasional treat, such as coffee or chain restaurant gift cards and movie tickets.

■ Send a handwritten note of appreciation.

■ Reward someone who goes above and beyond by giving him or her a day off.

Out of sight, out of mind is a belief that is 100 percent ineffective and counterproductive when it comes to your virtual team.

Marla Tabaka is a small-business adviser.

Many of my clients have remote teams and their loyalty, sense of ownership and discipline are exceptional. A study published in Harvard Business Review found that, while not everyone is cut out to work from home, may of those who do are even more productive than their office counterparts.