Legal Update

May 18, 2020

Work-from-Home Management Audit and Checklist

Developing an Action Plan to Train and Up-skill Your Managers who Supervise Remote Employees

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In the age of COVID-19, and given the virtual work realities now confronting many organizations, it is incumbent on employers to provide targeted tools and strategies to those with growing responsibility for work-from-home (WFH) individuals and teams. Managers with primarily on-site supervisory experience often encounter pronounced skill gaps relative to managing remote employees.

Getting started involves auditing areas of potential WFH management inconsistency within your organization. The Audit and Checklist from Seyfarth at Work provides a roadmap to identify those areas, which should form the basis for developing updated and targeted manager guidelines as well as your remote supervision skills training.

This Audit and Checklist covers the following best practice topics so you can identify and triage relevant manager skill gaps:

  • Ensuring WFH employee productivity and accountability to protect your bottom line.
  • Setting and clarifying expectations for all remote employees and providing effective feedback, remotely.
  • Building and maintaining trust, virtually.
  • Making simple virtual communication adjustments (both in one-on-one and team discussions) to maximize performance results.
  • Limiting cyber harassment & bullying risks—along with other relevant liability potholes unique to remote management.
  • Creating and delivering credible WFH performance documentation.
  • Effectively managing group video meetings and engaging participants.
  • Maximizing team cohesion and championing your values, virtually.
  • Escalating concerns and red flag issues.


(Click to download checklist)

Next Steps: Beyond the Checklist

Our Seyfarth at Work subsidiary is already helping clients of all sizes to imprint the most up-to-date virtual/remote management skills through training and related communications initiatives. For training information, or a sample course description, please contact Rachel Guisinger at rguisinger@seyfarth.com or click here for a course description/brochure.